Family Secret
by ToxicCandy
Summary: What happens when you're the last of a dying breed? When you're a part of a long kept family secret? Rated M for language and non-consensual sex.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to J. K. Rowling. None of them belong to me. The only thing that is mine is the original character and plot idea.**

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><p>The wind was cold on her tear soaked face. She ran frantically through the Forbidden Forest, barely able to see what may lie ahead. Growing further behind her was Hogwarts, but it was nothing like she remembered. The castle had been set ablaze by followers of Lord Voldemort in their search for Harry and Dumbledore.<p>

When they suddenly arrived she had been minding her own business gathering herbs for the next Advanced Potions class. Not knowing exactly how they penetrated the castle's defenses, she didn't feel much like staying to find out. "Fight or flight" had kicked in, and it was obvious which one surfaced first.

If you didn't know her well enough, you would think she was cowardly for running away. This girl was a Slytherin, so there should be no reason why any Death Eater would harm her, right? Wrong. The Sorting Hat may have placed her in Salazar's house, but her blood was far from pure. Not even Half Bloods were happily welcomed. All through her years at Hogwarts she tried to keep it a secret, but just months ago it was revealed. Even her closest friend, Draco Malfoy, shunned her. She couldn't say she was surprised at that though.

She thought she heard footsteps and rustling behind her, so she quickly changed directions, darting to the right. With it being pitch black in the forest, she did not notice the gnarled tree root emerging from the ground. Falling face-down into the dirt, her left ankle began pulsing wildly. "Oh no…" she cried, fearing the noises she thought she heard earlier.

Struggling to stand she collapsed a second time. "Lumos!" she whispered, hoping it was safe enough to examine herself. As soon as the wand illuminated the area around her, she saw what looked like a human figure rush behind a near tree. She swallowed hard and hurried to look at her ankle.

Other than her legs being covered in dirt, there were superficial cuts on both knees. The ankle was swollen, and to her shock, there appeared to be a tarsal bone protruding out of the skin. "How the hell did I manage this? I only tripped!" she nearly screamed in a mixture of anger, fear and pain. Trying hard to recall a spell for this, her peripheral caught the same shadow figure again.

"Put out your light." A man's voice ordered. She blindly followed his direction, yet she swore she knew the voice. "Don't move." There was a flash of green light and she could feel her ankle bones being reformed. She cried out in pain, clawing at the ground in agony.

"If you're going to kill me, don't spit in my face by healing me first!"

"Shut up you stupid girl and just listen to me!" he hissed. She now knew who this was.

"Professor? But-"

"I said _stop_. I didn't expect you to flee so quickly – I had to stop you somehow." Severus explained, still covered partly by the foliage. "I was ordered to come and get you."

She was extremely confused now. "Harry and Professor Dumbledore are more important than I am! Who gives a shit about me? I'd rather die than continue to be ashamed of my blood!" she stood slowly.

Severus rubbed his temples. "We don't have time for this right now. My main objective is getting you out of here. And if you keep talking like that, remember I still have the authority to punish you." He added sternly.

"Sorry." She grumbled. Suddenly they heard the collapsing of one of the castle towers in the distance. Her heart broke even further with every destroyed piece of stone.

"Lets go." Severus grabbed her arm and apparated into the night.

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><p>Her vision was terribly distorted and all of her senses interrupted. She had only traveled this way a few times, and every time left her sick to her stomach. She barely noticed Severus walk past her and disappear into another room.<p>

Slowly inching towards what seemed to be a chair, she sat down and closed her eyes. _Why is this happening?_ She waited for the nausea and dizziness to subside. Soon she regained control of her body and her eyes fluttered open. She sat in a dimly lit room, barely furnished. A fireplace was visible to her right.

"Where am I?" she muttered. Severus reappeared just then, still looking bothered by all this.

"Unfortunately, my home." He answered. She straightened up quickly in the armchair, growing alarmed. This fact made her uncomfortable to no end.

"I'm afraid to ask why…"

The cold man rolled his eyes and took a seat opposite of her, but not before igniting the fireplace. He was rarely home and the room was freezing during the fall. Winter would sure be intense this year. "Like I said before, I was ordered to help you."

"That doesn't tell me anything though, Professor. Why is my safety suddenly an issue? Who ordered you to find me? Other than the obvious, why do I need help so badly?" she blurted out, searching his face for a useful answer.

There was silence for awhile. The only sound came from the crackling of the wood. "You said that you shouldn't be ashamed of your blood – and you're right," he began.

"I'm a stupid half breed. Just ask the other Slytherins." She sounded hurt.

"No!" Severus snapped, now glaring at her with his dark brown eyes. "That is because they do not know the full story. You may not be a Pureblood, but you have something in your veins they would kill for. And it's already begun." He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Marie… You are a descendent of Salazar Slytherin himself."

Marie's face turned paler than it already was. "I don't understand… the descendents are pure… what's left of them at least."

"No one has known until recently. Apparently when Slytherin was alive he took on a mistress. That was not the surprise, however, the mistress' history was – she was a Muggle." Marie gasped loudly.

"Sir, even insinuating this about Slytherin could be enough to start rioting among the Pureblood community. Are you positive?"

Severus nodded. "Sadly, yes. Dumbledore has his sources, and if he trusts them, then I have no choice but to trust them as well. The woman had been a family servant, before the common practice of House Elves gained popularity. When her pregnancy was too much to hide, he sent her away, yet periodically checked in on his new son and once lover. From there the rest is history… that now sits staring at me in my living room with her jaw on the ground."

Marie was floored by this. She didn't know what to say. Was she supposed to be proud of herself now? "So then explain why I may be in trouble… please."

"You won't like it. Are you sure you wish to know _everything_?" he asked cautiously. Marie kept nodding.

Severus shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Other than his obvious hunt of Potter, Voldemort and the Death Eaters seek you for something, in my opinion, much more cruel." He paused and looked away, hating every second of this. He didn't think Marie deserved such a fate; she was a good person, even for a Slytherin.

"Sir, please, I have to know now." She begged.

He cleared his throat, realizing there was no getting around it. "We have evidence to suggest that Voldemort wants the Malfoy men to, shall we say, keep you for themselves to create more heirs." He felt disgusting for finishing his statement. He looked back at Marie who now had her head buried in her hands.

"Tell me that's not true…" she began hyperventilating, pulling at her hair. She was beside herself.

"I'm sorry." Was all he could keep repeating. He really was remorseful, for the first time in a long while.

Suddenly she lifted her head, sweeping her long brown hair out of her now red, irritated eyes. What he remembered as being a happy blue pair now seemed very lost and depressed. Marie pulled out her wand. "I'll be damned if I let them turn me into some sort of baby machine. No need to help me any further Professor. It ends here..." she held the point under her chin, preparing to commit the unthinkable.

Severus flew from his chair immediately and grabbed her wrists. "What are you doing? Let it go! Drop it!" he yelled, now wrestling her for the wand. Marie even tried kicking the man out of desperation.

"The only way I know I'm safe is if I'm in the ground! Don't make me go through this! Let me die!" she pleaded, losing the battle.

Finally Severus stole the wand and put it on his person. He held on tight to her shoulders and continued to yell. "You do not give up this easily! Do you understand? We will make sure this ends and that you live a full life, and if you decide to make an heir, it is on _your_ terms!" his face was inches from hers, the passion in his voice ringing in her ears.

"Why do you care so much?" Marie whispered through more tears.

"Because," he backed up. "I too am a Half Blood. I _wish_ I could be as lucky as you are. You may not realize it now due to these circumstances, but you truly are a rare breed. The most noble there is…" he returned to his own chair, calming down.

Marie wiped her eyes and thought for a moment. _What's the point of being so special when everyone just wants to use you…?_

"Until I think it's called for, I'll hold onto your wand. I don't need you checking out on my watch." He rubbed his temples again, not realizing just what he signed up for. Then again, this wasn't a voluntary mission.

"If even Hogwarts was attacked, what makes you think I'll be safe here?" she still didn't receive an answer for that.

"Dumbledore said so. I trust him. End of story." He snapped. Marie didn't need to know of his double life – yet.

Marie attempted to lighten the mood instead. "Well If I wasn't afraid of you before, now I really am." Bad idea. And an even worse joke. _I'm an idiot._

Severus shot her a nasty look. "I'm going to pretend that was just a bad attempt at… humor."

"I didn't mean it like that, honest," Marie lowered her head. "I guess what I mean is, it will be a big adjustment, that's all. Between this news and relocating… it's a lot to handle." She really did not mean to offend her Head of House.

He softened a bit. "As long as it is my duty to protect you, I will also try to make this more bearable."

Just then the fire roared and the mantle shook. A Hogwarts school trunk flew out of the fireplace and onto the coffee table. Dumbledore's face appeared as well. "Severus?" he called out. It was comforting for Marie to know the Headmaster was still alive.

"Yes, I'm here." Severus crouched near the fire to speak. "I've done as you asked and informed her of everything. Are you and Potter safe?"

"We're fine, thank you. The Order is taking good care of this end. We escaped and left protection for the rest of the castle. Thankfully they backed off once they realized the three of us were missing," explained Dumbledore. "Clean up is already underway and students are being sent home."

Severus was relieved. "What else can I do now?"

"Do not leave her unattended. It may be difficult due to your _other_ orders, but you're a smart man, Severus. Hopefully this will be resolved soon." He sighed heavily. "Oh, and Severus?"

"Yes Albus?" he perked back up.

"Try not to scare the poor girl. She has been through enough already, and I'm afraid there's worse on the way. Liven up a bit please?" and with that he was gone. Marie had to stop from smirking, but was rather worried about what Dumbledore meant. She didn't expect her and Severus to be friends now, but she didn't want to be completely ignored either. He was probably going to be the only person she got to see from now on.

Severus stood and picked up her trunk. "It's been a long night. Let me show you the room we prepared." He motioned for her to follow out of the living room, up the stairs and down a long hallway. Neither of them spoke the whole way up. Marie found it to be awkward. Once reaching said room, he waved his hand and the candles inside illuminated the contents.

_This had to be all Dumbledore's idea._ The room looked like a miniature version of the Slytherin dorms. Ebony furniture was found everywhere with deep green blankets and sheets draped neatly on the four poster bed. There was even an attached bathroom for more privacy. He set her trunk in a corner and began to leave.

"Professor…" Marie stopped him.

"What?"

Marie impulsively hugged him from behind before he could turn around. Severus was taken aback and fought the urge to be incredibly rude. It pained him. "Thank you. Really. You're risking your own life for mine. I owe you everything but I can offer nothing." She almost began tearing once more.

He broke free and turned his head slightly. "… you're welcome…" Severus then left and she watched him rush down the hall to his own quarters. _She… hugged… me…_ He didn't know how to take this.

Marie closed the door, still shocked that she acted in such a way. "Stupid…" she muttered while quickly changing into her night clothes. "I still can't believe that _I'm_ an heiress to Slytherin, however 'muddy' the blood may be. Just… _me_…" she lightly ran a finger over the Slytherin crest on her Hogwarts robe. A pang of satisfaction rushed over her, and she smiled. _I just hope I get to choose who carries it on…_


	2. Chapter 2

While Marie attempted to sleep in her unfamiliar surroundings, Voldemort was already planning a new attack. He gathered only a few of his most trusted followers at his father's gravesite. The moon was full and shone brightly overhead, revealing to the Death Eaters Voldemort's enraged expression. Something they feared no matter how tough they were.

"Just how hard is it for you imbeciles to capture two nineteen year old kids?" he roared, close to strangling them all. "One of them shouldn't even be able to defend herself whatsoever!"

Lucius Malfoy was the most frustrated Death Eater there. He failed to bring back his own prize. "I'm sorry, my Lord…" he began.

"Don't even speak to me!" he spat back. "You should be groveling at my feet still for the opportunity I'm allowing you to take hold of!" Lucius lowered his head in shame. Voldemort struck Lucius across the face; the blonde man fell to the ground without a sound. The others took a step back, not wanting the same done to them.

He turned to address the rest of his minions. "Malfoy does not even deserve this gift. I would impregnate that Half Blood wench myself if it weren't for this cursed body! I should be the one honoring Salazar!" Lucius brought himself back to his feet, holding his bleeding cheek.

"My Lord… I will not fail you. We will find her, and Slytherin's memory will live on. I promise you this." He breathed slowly, not wanting to upset Voldemort any further.

"No one rests until she is in our custody, same for the Potter boy. Now GO!" he commanded. As they scrambled to do as they were told, Voldemort clutched onto Lucius's arm. "If you fail me again," he snarled, "I will pass this onto your son, and I. Will. Disown. You." The blonde almost broke down. He would be the laughing stock of his whole family and community if that happened.

"My Lord, even if it takes the both of us, we will get this done…" with that Voldemort released him and disappeared into the night.

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><p>Severus had given up on sleeping. He glanced at the grandfather clock in his study. <em>Hell… 4am already? <em>He had felt his Dark Mark pulsing while he was in bed, knowing full well he should have gone. Being a double spy took an extreme toll on the man, physically and emotionally. How was he supposed to keep Marie safe and turn her in at the same time? Handing her over to someone like Lucius shook his core. He knew of the man's reputation once he got a hold of a woman.

He grew weary of pacing, for he had been doing so for a good half hour. Severus decided to pay a visit to his work room downstairs. _Maybe concocting potions will help me relax._ He slipped his boots on and headed on his way. When he reached the back room, however, he saw lights coming from inside. _Don't tell me it's started already…_ He drew his wand for good measure.

Peeking inside he only found Marie carrying out his own idea. She was busy making what smelled and looked like a sleeping aid. Not too weak, but not as strong as the Draught of the Living Dead. That would be suicide, and he hoped those scares were over. Although perturbed that she was nosy, and gutsy, enough to wander around his home, and then take his supplies, he took pride in knowing he taught so well.

"_Ahem._"

Marie nearly fell off of her stool. She clutched her chest, her heart racing. "Professor… I'm sorry but I need this. I'm extremely anxious and paranoid…" she explained. Severus drew closer and peered inside the bubbling cauldron.

"You've made enough for months..." Again he wished she didn't use his supplies.

"Well, I thought I would be here for awhile, so… um… I planned ahead?" she stirred the contents slowly. "If you're up too then maybe you need some as well." She noted.

Severus folded his arms and leaned against the table. "That may be so, but you should have asked first." _Don't get mad. Remember what Dumbledore said. Crazy old bastard…_

"Sorry…" Marie reached for some vials she already laid out on the table. She began to spoon equal amounts into the glasses. When she finished, she handed one to him, and took one for herself. "Bottoms up?" Severus watched her drink it first, then decided not to take any. He needed to be alert and morning was coming soon.

"No… maybe tomorrow." He set it back down. As soon as Marie finished hers he noticed the effects taking hold rather quickly. Too quickly. _Probably too much Wolfbane… I'm sure this was on purpose. _

Marie dropped the vial on the table and her head fell. He could hear her breathing softly, indicating she had finally fallen asleep. "I don't blame her, I would be a wreck as well…" he watched her for a bit longer to make sure this was the only side effect. It seemed peace had reached her at last. _Dammit. How do I get her back upstairs? There's no way I can wake her now under that potion._ Grudgingly Severus found a way to pick her up and he began to carry her. _And to think it's only the first night. Maybe I could slip this to her more often. Sleeping may be the best thing for her. No… she doesn't need to become addicted to it either. _He reached the top of the staircase and pushed open her bedroom door. Laying her down he made sure to cover her in the emerald blankets. Marie instinctively curled up and rolled onto her side, her back to Severus.

For some reason he did not leave immediately, something about her kept him watching. Maybe it was the shock of having a piece of history now living in his home. He admitted he was a skeptic when Dumbledore first told him the news. Severus had held Slytherin in high regard, although he did not agree with the man on everything. Salazar was always described as being a despiser of anyone that was not of pure blood. The fact that he took a Muggle, laid down with her, and produced a son was incredible. _I wonder if he actually loved her more than his own wife. _

He had taken a rest in a chair by the dresser, lost in his pondering over Slytherin's life. His concentration was broken when Marie began to talk in her sleep. "No… don't come closer. Not like this… please…" she tossed and turned violently.

_A nightmare? I still can't wake her…_

Marie continued to repeat the same fear filled phrases, with Severus not being able to help. He felt a little worthless, even if it was just a bad dream. Inching the chair closer to the bedside, he slowly reached out to touch her hand. _I guess it's the least I can do._ Lightly placing his hand over hers, Marie seemed to settle down and return to a normal state. His eyes growing heavy, Severus fought off the oncoming urge to sleep. Her grip tightened on his hand and he found himself stuck. _Fuck._ Soon he too fell asleep.

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><p>It was nearly noon before Marie came out of her drugged sleep. Slowly her eyes opened and she saw her hand still wrapped around Severus's. She almost screamed. He was still asleep, his head nuzzled against her leg which was covered in the many layers of blankets. <em>How did this happen? I only remember… the sleeping potion! I knew I messed it up. But why is he here? <em>

Being too afraid to wake him herself, she closed her eyes and pinched his wrist, but left her hand where it was. Severus lifted his head and looked around in a daze, his black hair a mess. He too noticed the positioning of their hands and he pulled away quickly as if she were diseased. Marie opened her eyes just enough to see a fuzzy image of him. Her heart was in her throat. _Well whatever happened, obviously he cares. Maybe he's not an asshole like everyone says._

Severus stood and smoothed the wrinkles from his clothing and placed the chair back in its original place. He crept out of the room as to not to wake her. Once the coast was clear, Marie jumped out of bed and to the bathroom to shower and change. _I don't think I should say anything. He probably doesn't remember anyway. _

_I shouldn't have fallen asleep there. If she would have seen me, I wouldn't want her to get the wrong idea. I'm not like them._ He could have kicked himself while he made coffee in the kitchen downstairs. Soon he heard footsteps which ended in the doorway. Marie had thrown on some jeans and an oversized long sleeved shirt. "Good morning… or afternoon I suppose." She greeted him. Severus glanced at her but said nothing. He continued to poor his coffee and down it.

"Do you drink this yet?" he asked. She shook her head. "Good, don't ever do it. It's terrible for you." Marie smirked.

"Professor I have to ask," she began. _Oh Merlin, did she see?_ "What happened after I took the potion? Did I make an error in it?" _Thank God._

Severus faced her and took another sip. "I believe when I startled you, it caused you to add a bit too much Wolfbane. You passed out immediately on the work table. I brought you back upstairs and then you started to have nightmares."

"Did I say anything?" she asked curiously.

He nodded. "Don't worry about it though; it was probably just a side effect of the potion. There was nothing I could do so I went to bed myself." Severus then poured a third cup and began to exit the kitchen. "If you'll excuse me, I have some things to take care of. If you're hungry, just uh, help yourself." He wanted badly just to leave.

"Well, if you haven't eaten, maybe I could make something for us? It's the least I could do." Marie offered, wringing her hands nervously. "I promise what I make is edible." She joked.

Severus wasn't sure what to say. If he declined, he looked like an ass. If he accepted, he wasn't sure he was comfortable with a student being his personal chef either. "Just this once." He noticed her face light up some.

"It's really not a bother. I miss being able to cook." _Well if she can make mean potions, maybe the quality of her cooking is high too._ Severus showed her where everything was and left again while she got to work. He wasn't one for small talk and didn't feel like being in her way either.

While Marie did her thing in the kitchen, Severus went to his bedroom to contact Dumbledore by fire again. _Maybe there's been an update; the Mark didn't burn just because it felt like burning._ Locking the door behind him, he kneeled in front of the fireplace and summoned the Headmaster.

"Good afternoon Severus!" Dumbledore beamed. He would never understand how the Headmaster remained so calm all the time. Or cheery. It was disgusting sometimes.

"Headmaster, I'm going to cut to the chase so excuse me if I seem short. The Mark was burning furiously last night, but as you know the girl prevents me from leaving as much as I need to. Have you heard anything?" he questioned.

For a moment Dumbledore was silent, and it seemed someone else had caught his attention. "Hold on Severus. I think something is coming through now." The fireplace became empty but he could make out the voices of other Order members. Dumbledore returned with a grim expression. "This is not good. Voldemort is very angry, almost to the point of finding her himself."

"Well we already know he is physically incapable of performing what he wishes." Severus shuddered at that image.

"That may be so, but I'm sure he has ordered Lucius to up the ante. According to Harry's visions, he has even roped Draco into this." The old man shook his head sadly. "He's just an innocent child too… the way he has been manipulated throughout the years… it's infuriating."

Severus was just as upset. He knew how tightly knit Marie and Draco once were. He also knew that Draco would use that to his advantage. "Should I warn her of this? They used to be close." Dumbledore allowed it.

"Professor!" Marie called from downstairs. "Um, lunch is ready!"

Dumbledore almost laughed. "She's cooking for you Severus?" If he didn't have any dignity he would have blushed.

"It was her idea. She keeps saying she owes me." He mumbled. "And you told me not to be rude, remember?" he retorted.

"Fair enough. I'll keep you updated if anything else happens. Stay safe." And he was gone once again. Severus made his way back downstairs, thinking of how to tell Marie about Draco. When he ended their friendship, Severus could see all over her face just how much it hurt. He even suspected her to having a love interest in him as well. For weeks she wasn't the same in class, and her homework assignments were that of an idiot first year. At least to Severus's standards…

Reaching the dining room, Severus saw the food laid out before him. _So she wasn't just bragging._ He took his seat and noticed Marie smiling. "What are you so happy about? Weren't you crying just last night?"

"I can't help it. What potions do for you, cooking does for me. It's just relaxing." She explained, taking her own seat close, but not too close to him. "Just enjoy it, please?"

About halfway into the meal, Severus decided to inform her of Dumbledore's report. "Marie, while you were cooking I spoke to Dumbledore."

She could tell something was wrong. "Oh?" she folded her hands in her lap and prepared for more bad news.

"This may be hard for you to stomach, but Voldemort has told Lucius to force Draco into this as well," Marie closed her eyes. _Of course he would…_ "I know how close you both were, and I don't want you falling for anything if he shows up." He watched her process this, the same pain displayed on her face from months ago.

"I… I won't. We were best friends but… when he found out about me, he did a complete 180. Now look at us… I'm the one with better blood than he." She scoffed and picked at her plate. "Thank you for telling me."

"It's my job." Severus said simply. "But I have to ask, what made you two so close in the first place? I have only seen him take a liking to people he can control, like dim-witted Crabbe and Goyle. So how did you wind up with him?"

Marie shrugged. "I really can't answer that. Ever since the boat ride to the castle from the Hogwarts Express in our first year, we've just been around each other. He's sarcastic, I'm sarcastic. We liked the same subjects. Maybe I was just a challenge to him, to see if he could control me." This was still a touchy topic for her to discuss; it only made her sad.

Severus accepted this answer and moved on. "The meal is great." He tried to change the topic.


	3. Chapter 3

Weeks had passed and Marie was beginning to go insane with being locked up like an animal. One morning she approached Severus while he was reading the Daily Prophet in the living room. "I want to go outside." She more demanded than asked.

Without looking up from the paper he replied. "No."

"Why?"

"It's not safe."

"Then go with me."

Severus began to get annoyed. He tossed the paper on the coffee table. "I'm not going to tell you again. We still don't have an all clear with Dumbledore."

Marie huffed impatiently and plopped into an armchair. "Then entertain me." She was starting to sound like a child. _Merlin, maybe I should take her outside. I don't need to be raising a brat here._

"We've been working on potions, isn't that enough? Read another book or something." he tried to reason with her. Marie shook her head.

"Amazingly I've grown bored with it. I'm used to coming and going as I please, like at the castle. You know this, sir." She explained. "I can't work on that 24/7 without a break of some sort."

Severus folded his arms sternly. "Where do you expect us to go without getting noticed? Last I heard more people have been recruited to pick you up." _I don't need this now, there's a meeting I must attend tonight. I've been ignoring it for too long._

"Even if it's just for half an hour, I don't care where it is. I haven't seen the beach in ages. I doubt anyone would look for us there." Marie continued to plead.

He rolled his eyes, but she did have a point. Against his better judgment he agreed to a little time on the water. Marie became excited and ran upstairs to change. "We can't stay long!" he yelled after her. _Maybe it'll be alright. If we hit a coast in a different country, I would feel better. _Severus began to prepare a portkey and finished by the time Marie returned with her bag.

"Maybe you'll be in a better mood too once we get there." She teased as they grabbed the key. _What a mouth on this one. She's lucky I can't give her a detention... or twenty._

The portkey dropped them off on a remote stretch of beach on the coast of Ireland. The wind was heavy and the air smelled of salt. Marie looked around happily and ran towards the water, removing her shoes in the process. The grass and sand felt foreign between her toes – it'd been years since she did this. Severus took up a seat on a cluster of rocks, feeling very out of place. If he were to come to a place like this, it would have been night time. Severus and the sun did not get along at all. He watched Marie run around without a care in the world. _It's as if she's completely forgotten about all this. How does she do it?_

Marie had worn her bathing suit underneath her clothing, so she removed her top and left on her shorts. _She must be insane, the water is freezing at this time of year._ Without a second thought she dove in and resurfaced moments later. "You should come in!" she shouted at Severus. _Are you kidding me?_

"No, I'm fine just sitting here. Perfectly content." He yelled back, furrowing his brow.

"You're such a stick in the mud!" _Now she's just being stupidly brave. _Marie dove back under the waves and swam along the shore for awhile. Severus looked at his pocket watch, growing nervous. He constantly looked over each shoulder.

"We should go back soon!" he called out. _This was a mistake. I shouldn't have caved. _Marie decided not to test him anymore, at least not today. On her way back up to the rocks she grabbed a shell from the shore.

"Hold out your hand." She told him when she arrived.

"Why?"

"Please?" Severus obeyed and Marie placed a beautiful shell in his hand. It had silver and dark green streaks all through it. "Just like Slytherin." She turned away and grabbed a towel from her bag and began drying her hair. _Well, it is nice. _He studied it some more before tucking it away in his pocket. It was a kind but odd gesture.

"Ready?" Severus motioned toward the portkey lying on the ground. _No, but I did say half an hour…_ Marie threw her shirt back on and grabbed it with him.

When they returned home they were shocked at what they found. The living room had been torn apart and a note was left on the table. _I know she was here_, was all it said. Marie dropped her bag and ran upstairs; to her relief none of her things had been touched. Whoever it was wasn't smart enough to check every room. "Professor, why is it my room was left alone?" she asked, dashing back downstairs.

Severus still had the note in his hand. "You think we would add on a room and not protect it? It's only accessible to you, myself, and Dumbledore if need be. If you were anyone else, you would not even see the door in the hall." He explained. _Thank God we thought of that. But who was this?_

Marie walked around the living room slowly, trying to pick up the pieces of paper torn from books. Placing one of them back on a shelf, she noticed a hair strand sticking out from a page. "Blonde…" she whispered. Severus turned around to see her holding the strand with two fingers.

"It's not long enough to be Lucius's though," he noticed. "They sent Draco."

"That explains why he didn't sense the room. I bet if Voldemort himself came, or even Lucius, it wouldn't have worked." Marie became upset again. She only wanted to get out of the house because it felt like a prison, and it may have saved her life. "Thank you for letting me go." She set the book back down. "I had fun while it lasted…" she walked away and disappeared upstairs.

Severus fell onto the couch and sighed heavily. _What made them check here? Or is it just to scare me? That may be it, considering I've ignored the Mark. But tonight I have to go. I just hope she is okay by herself for a few hours. I should tell Dumbledore to send an Order member at the very least._

* * *

><p>"Why do you have to leave?" Marie followed close behind Severus, almost knocking him over every time he changed directions.<p>

"Stop!" he finally responded to her, making her jump. "Look, I can't tell you. All I _can_ tell you though is that an Order member will be here soon to watch you until I get back." Marie still didn't look any better.

"I only feel safe with you." She admitted.

"That's because I'm the only human you've seen in weeks. I'm sure whoever Dumbledore sends is just as qualified as I am." Severus reassured her. "I have to go."

Marie watched as he stepped into the living room fireplace and he vanished in a layer of Floo Powder smoke. Soon after the fireplace began shaking and out of it came Nymphradora Tonks. Marie studied the thin woman, especially her ever-changing hair color. "Are… are you from the Order?" she asked carefully.

"Yeah, that's me. I'm Tonks." She extended a hand to Marie and smiled. "It's so awesome to meet someone like you!" she was thrown off by the woman's energetic attitude.

"Well, I don't feel very special right now."

"Don't worry about it. Everyone is working to make sure nothing bad happens. I don't know what's worse though – people after you, or you having to live with Snape!" Tonks joked, now sitting down. Marie took a seat as well.

"Actually, it hasn't been that bad. I got him to take me to the beach today."

Tonks' jaw almost hit the floor. "Did ya have to curse him or something?" Marie laughed. "Wow… maybe he's chilling out as he's getting older."

_I didn't think it was like him at all to give in so easily. But then again it's probably out of pity. He probably hasn't changed at all._

* * *

><p>Severus cautiously entered the graveyard where Voldemort and the Death Eaters were waiting for him. It had been awhile since his presence was requested, no, demanded. He had skipped out on too many meetings. He hoped his cover wasn't blown.<p>

"Ah, Severus, long time no see." Voldemort beckoned for him to move closer. "I was beginning to think you changed your loyalties."

"Never my Lord."

"LIAR!" he screamed. "We know you had the girl in your home!" his eyes pierced Severus's.

Severus shook his head. "Whoever gave you this information has their facts all wrong," he began coolly. "When Dumbledore and the boy escaped from the castle that night, they had Marie with them. I was unaware of this until that old nut decided to use my home as a meeting point without my knowledge. Yes, the Half Blood was within reach, but there were too many Order members around to just snatch her. It would have been a suicide mission, and I believe I have a lot left to offer you." Oh he was good at this.

Voldemort let this story soak in for a bit. He then slowly began circling Severus, searching for any sign of fear. _I don't sense anything…_ "Fine." He snapped. "It doesn't matter anyway for I had made good use of some Polyjuice Potion earlier. The girl is being guarded right now, but what she doesn't know is that her protector is also her predator." He laughed darkly.

Severus's heart sank, but he kept a cool head. "What do you mean my Lord? Where is she right now?"

"It seems Dumbledore knows exactly when you vacate your house – he likes to use it as her hiding spot. Fool. By now I'm sure Draco has finished what we sought to start." Voldemort again continued to laugh. "I'm done with you. But if you hurry on home, I'm sure you could have a turn, just as long as the seed is from him." He then disappeared.

_I hope I'm not too late. I'll never forgive myself…_

* * *

><p>"Hey Marie, can I ask you a question?" Tonks stood up and sat next to her on the couch.<p>

"Um, sure I guess so." _Boy she talks a lot._

Tonks moved even closer to her, now grabbing her wrist. "What… what are you doing?" Marie began to panic. The other woman didn't say anything – she didn't need to. The Polyjuice Potion began to wear off and "Tonks's" skin began to bubble. "Oh my God…" Marie tried to get away, but the assailant threw her to the floor.

"When did you become so gullible?" Draco laughed, now crawling over her. He pinned her arms to the ground above her head by magic.

"Draco, please don't do this!" she cried. "Don't you remember when we used to be friends?" he ignored her and started to pull down her jeans. "Please, this isn't the you I grew up with!"

Draco smacked her across the face. "You don't get to speak to me that way! If I want it, you have to let me. That's the way it is! You're nothing but an heir maker now, Marie!" she continued crying and looked away. She felt him claw at her panties now, revealing what was beneath.

He slowly inserted a finger into her, and soon was met with resistance. "Well now… still a virgin are we? That means this child will definitely be mine." Draco continued probing in order to make her wet.

"Please stop…" she whispered. "It hurts…"

He only inserted another, and another, until there were four inside her. "Your mouth says no, but your pussy says yes. Can't you feel how wet you are?" he chuckled darkly. "I think you're ready now – I know I am." He unzipped his pants and released his now hard member. She winced, his fingernails ripping her walls.

Marie imagined she was somewhere else. Anywhere else would be better than this. She thought back to her first night here, when she held Severus' hand. It was scary at first, but then it became comforting. She held onto that thought as Draco entered her.

"This may be the best assignment I've had so far," he moaned between thrusts. "Not only am I fucking a virgin, but the heiress of Slytherin? Oh it's wonderful…" Marie bit her bottom lip, not wanting to cry anymore. She wasn't going to give him that satisfaction.

Draco picked up his speed and became more demanding. "Call me your Master!" No answer. "I said call me your Master!" he struck her again. Marie cried out in pain, her face throbbing.

"You're… my Master…" she whispered, now staring at the ceiling. _Why did you have to leave Severus? I don't understand…_

Draco's moaning became louder and closer together. "Oh yes, I'm going to cum inside of you and make that heir…" Marie braced herself. This was now her life until they decide to either kill her, or she found a way to do it herself. "That's it… yes… I'm going to…" before he could finish he was pushed over the edge into an orgasm, spilling himself inside of Marie. He cleaned himself up and stood over her.

"By the way," he began. "I won't tell them you've been here for weeks. I'm sure he wants a turn too. But these children will be _mine_." And with that he left her crying, whimpering, curled up in a ball with her panties around her ankles. Marie couldn't process what just happened. She only pulled the beach towel from earlier over herself and continued to cry.

As soon as Draco left, it seemed Severus appeared. Marie didn't notice – she was still in shock. Severus found her in a shaking pile behind the couch. "Oh God no…" he collapsed by her side and brushed the hair out of her face. "Marie I'm so sorry. I wasn't here! I wasn't fucking here!" he yelled. _I should have known better…_

"I thought of you," she said weakly, looking up at him. Severus looked at her confused. "I woke up the first night I was here… you held my hand through the nightmares… You're not like them…" Severus didn't care that he had been caught; he cared about making sure biological processes were stopped. Immediately. "At least that's what I thought."

That got his attention. "Marie? What do you mean?"

"You want this too don't you?" she started to yell. "You went on and on about it the first night I was here! Just fucking go ahead! I don't care anymore!" she tried to sit up and hit him but missed. Severus caught her in his arms.

"Marie you don't have time for this. I have a potion that will stop conception. Do you want it?" he hoped she would say yes. _Giving in now is just an invitation for them to return._

She cried into his chest and nodded. "Then let me go get it." He gently laid her back down and rushed to find the vial. He returned quickly and held up her head. "Drink this." Severus guided the bottle to her lips and made sure all of it was ingested. "I can't let you lie here like this anymore, we need to clean you up."

"Don't touch me!" she spat, still in shock. Marie fumbled to pull her panties back up underneath the towel. After that she needed assistance to stand. Severus helped her up the stairs and to the bathroom where he started to run the tub.

"Will you be able to get in yourself?" he asked, hoping the answer to that was also a 'yes'.

Marie moved from her bed to the bathroom doorway. "Why am I so dizzy?" she fell and caught herself on the sink. "I feel like I'm going to vomit."

"Another side effect I'm afraid." Severus explained. "It will still work, don't worry."

"I don't think I can keep myself up and undress at the same time…" she began to remove her shirt with one hand still clutching the sink.

"Let me leave then before you do that." He made a dash for the door. Marie pulled off her shirt faster than he thought she could. She was now in just a bra and panties, and her balance was getting worse.

"I can't unhook it with one hand." _Fuck._

Severus turned back around and tried to look away. Marie noticed this and had to laugh. "What's the matter? Never seen a woman naked?" she thought she deserved to be a bitch now.

"Very funny. Are you done?" he snapped. "Just hold still." He quickly unhooked her bra and turned back around. "Now do the rest yourself and get in the water. I'm leaving." This time he actually did.

Marie slowly made her way to the tub and eased into the hot water. She tried to fight the memories of what just occurred. Severus sat in her room, afraid to leave her. _She's dizzy, in a bath tub and was just raped. Not a good combination._ He held his face in his hands, cursing himself for ever leaving her side. _Draco knows she's here, and once they ask me if she's pregnant or not, they'll keep coming back. This will continue until Voldemort is defeated. What am I supposed to do? Just let Lucius and Draco in when they feel like getting off? _

Her insides felt like they were on fire. Whatever this mixture was, it was extremely potent. Marie clutched her stomach in between washing herself. She wasn't sure if she needed to vomit, walk this off, or what. The cuts Draco left inside of her stung; Marie watched drops of blood dilute into the bath water. _He was my best friend… And I thought for sure that day he was finally going to ask me out…_

_Marie sat in the library with her piles of homework when Draco nearly knocked her from her seat. "Is this supposed to be funny?" she tried to play it off. "What's your deal Draco?" He grabbed her by her robes and pulled her into an outside hallway._

_ "You're fucking disgusting!" he screamed in her face. Marie stared at him blankly._

_ "What did I do?" her voice broke. She had never seen him so angry. Just yesterday they were getting along fine. He had taken her on a romantic walk through Hogsmeade and treated her to dinner. Draco had even made a move and held her hand all the way back to the castle..._

_ Draco pushed her against the wall. "You've been lying to me for nearly seven years," he growled. "You're nothing more than a nasty Half Breed!" He mostly hated himself for falling for her. His parents would never allow him to be with someone like_ **_her_**. _Marie's heart sank. _

_ "I… I didn't want to tell you because we were getting along so well… I'm sorry…" she cried, falling to the floor. "You're my best friend here, Draco! I... love you..." _

_ "Don't ever speak to me again! Don't even look at me!" he spat on the wall, it just missed her face. He stormed away and Marie continued crying. _

Marie wiped away the oncoming tears and started to drain the bath water. After soaking for a good while the nausea had disappeared. Standing and wrapping herself in a towel, she studied her face in the mirror. A faint hand print was visible. _Draco…_ She touched it lightly – it still burned. Marie stepped into her bedroom for new clothes and found Severus in the corner still sitting. She blushed furiously.

Severus' hands flew over his eyes. "I thought you had clothes. I just wanted to make sure you were alright before I left." _What am I, ten years old? She's still deserves her privacy, though._ Marie glared at him as she made her way to her trunk.

"No thanks to you," she muttered coldly under her breath, picking out fresh night clothes. Severus heard her comment and immediately felt guilty again. _I'm sorry… _She went back into the bathroom to change and reappeared shortly, dressed for bed. Marie didn't feel like being around anyone now. She threw the covers over her head, hoping he would leave.

Severus understood the hint fully and rose from his chair. "If you do need me though, come find me. I promise I'll be around," he blew out of the candles and partially closed the door. "Sleep well."


	4. Chapter 4

Draco stared up at the ceiling in his lavishly decorated bed. He felt horrible for what he had to do to Marie. When he arrived home, he had been greeted by Voldemort and his father. The Dark Lord rested a hand on Draco's shoulder and smiled – if you could call it that. Lucius looked on in a fit of jealousy, his chest burning.

"My dear boy, how does it feel to know that in just a matter of months, you will be the father of a new heir to Slytherin?" he was overjoyed at this. Everything was coming together.

Draco looked into his cold eyes. "It feels good." He forced himself to smirk proudly. "I'm sorry my Lord but, may I be excused? It was uh, an exhausting task." he wasn't sure how much longer he could put on the tough guy routine. Voldemort let go and he continued on his way upstairs.

Lucius spoke once Draco was gone. "My Lord, I don't understand how this happened. I thought I had one more chance. Wasn't that supposed to be me?" Voldemort became annoyed with his whining servant.

"I changed my mind. I'll still use you, but not for this. His blood is fresher anyhow. Besides, you chose your mate in life. It's over for you." He left Lucius in the foyer with a look of horror plastered on his face. His breathing became shallow and his hands turned to fists. _After everything I've done for him, he just pushes me out of the way?_ Lucius punched a vase that was sitting on a nearby end table. _I don't care what he says, this isn't over. I swear if that bitch isn't pregnant after what Draco did, then it's my turn. I'll fuck her as many times as it takes…_

"How could I do that to her…" Draco pulled a pillow over his face and screamed into it. _I didn't want it to end the way it did. It wasn't my fault… If Dad hadn't been so against me dating her, this could have been resolved. I didn't want to scream at her. I didn't want to end our friendship. And I definitely did not want to rape her… Please forgive me Marie._ He then cried into the pillow until he fell asleep.

* * *

><p>A few days had passed since Marie was attacked. She spent most of her time in bed, barely coming out even to eat. Severus did not bother her unless she spoke out first. Dumbledore thought that was best as well. <em>Don't push her Severus, let her open up to you if she wants to talk.<em> There had been a skirmish between the Order and a handful of Death Eaters. It seemed that ever since word got to Voldemort about the rape, he focused his attention on Harry again. This bought Severus some time to formulate a better defense strategy with Dumbledore.

It was late into the evening and Severus decided to make his way upstairs. Before he could move from the couch he heard Marie descending the stairs. She stopped in the doorway, wrapped up in a heavy blanket. Her hair was messy, as if she just woke up. Marie slowly walked into the room and sat next to him on the couch. "I've been doing some thinking," she began, staring into the fire.

"Oh?" Severus put down his reading material. He then felt something hit his shoulder – Marie had started to rest her head. _Why does she always feel the need to touch me in some way?_ He was never one for being physically close… to anyone.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you the other night. You were only trying to help me and I was too distraught to notice that." Marie didn't really notice that she had put her head down, but if he didn't object, then she wouldn't move. "I should be more grateful that I'm even alive I suppose."

"No need for an apology." He muttered, still carrying his own guilt.

Marie continued spilling her feelings. "Yes there is. Think about it: if I was anywhere else in the world and the same events were occurring, no one would help. No one. I'm lucky to have you and Professor Dumbledore. I'm lucky to have had Hogwarts. No matter what the outcome of all this is, I'll never blame you."

Severus was silent. He bit his tongue so as to not admit his secret. _I need her to trust me, but I hate lying to her. Why can none of this just be simple? _Marie took his prolonged silence as him understanding and accepting her apology. As Severus thought of how to respond, he felt the pressure on his shoulder become heavier. "Marie?" she was asleep. _Again with this?_ He sighed and gingerly let her fall the rest of the way until she lie flat on the couch. "I wish I could tell you everything. You don't deserve this."

* * *

><p>After months of small battles between the Death Eaters and the Order, Voldemort thought it would be best to check in on what should be a growing heir. Lucius waited eagerly for instructions. It had been too long since he was needed by his superior. When he hissed his name, he perked up quickly. "Lucius, why don't you check in on Severus and the girl to make sure things are going smoothly?" He could have kissed Voldemort he was so happy to be used.<p>

"Yes sir, of course. Right away."

Marie was in the living room, decorating a small Christmas tree. She begged Severus to let her have one. He couldn't remember the last time anything festive was in his house. _Whatever makes her feel better._"For it being so short, it actually looks quite nice." He watched from an armchair as Marie placed the last bit of tinsel on the branches. Waving her hand the multicolored lights turned on. Taking a step back, she admired her work.

"I think it's perfect." She smiled. "There's one thing missing though." Marie walked to a nearby closet and pulled out a neatly wrapped box.

Severus furrowed his brow. "Is that… a present?" he asked. Marie placed it under the tree and turned to answer him. He couldn't remember the last time he received one of those either.

"I couldn't help myself. I've been here for, what, four or five months now? Just open it in a week and pretend to like it." She joked. Marie stopped laughing when there was a loud banging noise at the front door.

"Stay where you are, just in case." Severus ordered, walking to answer it. He shoved his wand up his sleeve for quick access. Looking through the peephole, he froze. _Lucius…_ _I guess I should have expected this._

Opening the door slowly, Lucius skipped the formalities. "He sent me. Let me in." he barked. Not waiting for permission he pushed his way past Severus. "The check up should be quick…"

"Stop right there." He grabbed Lucius's arm and lowered his voice. "You know I don't agree with what's going on, but you know I have no choice in it either. If this is truly just a house call, then I want _no_ funny business. Do you understand?" Severus let his wand slip from his sleeve and he jabbed it into Lucius's rib cage. The blonde only smirked, finding his attitude amusing. _Don't tell me he genuinely cares for her._

"Who was at the door Professor?" Marie asked, hearing footsteps coming back into the room. She was crouched on the ground, trying to find the right spot for his present.

"Marie, please don't move." Severus tried to remain calm.

She began to turn around. "What are you talking about, I –" her eyes widened and she fell flat on her bottom. Scrambling to her feet in a panic she searched her person for her wand. _It's upstairs…_ "Why is he here? Why did you let him in?" she yelled. Lucius moved closer to her, backing Marie into the corner.

"To check on my grandchild of course. Or should I say Slytherin's grandchild, really." He reached out to feel her stomach which was covered by a baggy sweatshirt. Marie swatted at his hand, making contact with a loud smacking sound. "Testy, aren't we?"

"Don't fucking touch me! I've had enough of you and your son!" she spat. Severus could do nothing but watch this unfold in front of him.

Lucius only laughed. "Is that what this is about? Did you really think I would allow him to date someone like you? Although, things are certainly different now, aren't they?" Marie looked confused. Draco had ended their friendship, right? "Wait a second…" Lucius pieced things together. "Draco never told you it was our doing? Oh this is rich."

"He… he didn't do it on his own accord?"

"No, stupid. I told him to get rid of you!"

_Then he did love me… _

Marie's thoughts swirled around her head at an alarming pace. This was too much. "Can we get on with this now?" Lucius broke the silence. Marie whimpered as he lifted her sweatshirt to reveal no swelling.

"What… You're not pregnant, are you?" Lucius's hand roamed the front of her body. His touch was freezing cold. "It's been enough time for a child to show. Dammit!" he grabbed Marie by the collar and brought her face close to his. "If I find out you took anything for this, God help you…" he released her roughly and walked back to Severus.

"We'll be sending Draco tomorrow. If it doesn't take soon, I'll be forced to come back myself and make sure it's done. Although," he glanced back at Marie in a perverted manner. "I can't say I wouldn't mind that." Lucius chuckled and showed himself out of the house. _This is perfect. I can't wait to cum inside that bitch. The fun I'm going to have with her…_

Severus looked at Marie who stared back. "Who are you actually working for?" she demanded to know. "One day you're trying to keep me away from this, the next you're inviting him into your home to grope and threaten me!"

"Marie, it's complicated. You wouldn't understand." He said firmly.

"Well now that I know Draco never hated me, I wonder if I would be safer with him!" Marie blew up. "Who knows – maybe soon you'll try to fuck me too! I mean why not? Seems the whole wizarding world is trying to! Join the party!" she shoved past Severus to head upstairs when he grabbed her wrist and spun her around to face him.

"Don't you _dare_ lump me into the same category as them." Severus gritted his teeth. "If I was that sick, don't you think I would have by now? Just because I'm not allowed to reveal everything about myself to you, doesn't mean you can't trust me!" he tried desperately to reassure her.

Marie took back her arm and stopped just before reaching the staircase. "…I know Professor." She said quietly.


	5. Chapter 5

Draco woke the next morning, still depressed. He had been having reoccurring nightmares about Marie. He sat on the edge of his bed, cursing himself. There was a knock on the door. "Draco?" his mother Narcissa called out softly. "Honey, can I come in?" Draco straightened up and opened the door with his wand. She stepped inside and closed the door, making sure to lock it.

"What's going on, Mum?" he asked. Narcissa could hear the sadness in his voice. A mother could just tell when something was wrong with her child. She sat on the bed next to Draco, lightly brushing his hair with her fingers.

"I heard what happened, and I wanted to apologize. I know how much you cared for that girl, Draco." He only shook his head and scoffed.

"You both made me do this…"

Narcissa turned his head so she could look into her son's eyes. "No, Draco. I knew how happy she made you. Remember all the letters you sent home? You couldn't stop talking about her." He pulled away from her and stood up.

"Please don't do this to me." Draco looked out of his window and watched the storm brewing in the distance. "Don't lie to me to make me feel better."

"You have the right to know the truth," she began. "I wanted you to be with her. It was your father who did not." Draco's heart felt heavy. _That's what I was afraid of._

"Is he going to make me go back?" he asked, his voice breaking. "I don't think I could do it again…"

Narcissa walked over to Draco and held him from behind. "I'm afraid so, darling. I don't know what's gotten into your father. Sometimes I wish we had no connection to the Dark Lord." She admitted. All she had in her life was her husband, who she knew carried on many affairs over the years, and her son. His heart was now breaking and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Draco swallowed hard, still fighting tears. "When I see her again, I'm not going to do anything. I'm going to make this right by apologizing, even if all she does is scream at me. I need to get everything off my chest."

Narcissa held him tighter. "I overheard your father begging the Lord to let him take your job if you fail again. How long do you think you can keep up this lie?"

He sighed heavily. "I don't know, mum. I can only be responsible for my own actions, right?"

* * *

><p>Severus watched Marie pace around his living room for what seemed to be the millionth time. <em>What does she plan on doing when he gets here?<em> He continued to sip his coffee, hoping for some sort of "normal" day. That seemed unlikely to happen anymore. His life, and Marie's as well, were turned upside down for months now, and Severus often wondered if it would take a year or more. He definitely did not want to do this for the rest of his life.

Marie didn't even realize how long she had been walking the same line. She stared intently at the hands of the old clock on the wall. _How long do I have to wait, dammit!_ Once again the fireplace began to shake and smoke rose from inside. As soon as Marie saw the familiar blonde hair, she grabbed the nearest object – a small glass bowl – and threw it with all of her strength at Draco's face.

Draco doubled over in pain, holding his cheek. "What the hell?" Severus would have possibly found this amusing if it weren't for the fact that Marie broke something of his. He said nothing and drew his wand, cleaning the glass and reforming the bowl. Placing it back in its original position he glared at Marie. "If you would be so kind as to stop wrecking my home, I would appreciate it." He said, sarcasm dripping on every word. "I understand wanting to hurt him, but not at my expense." Marie ignored him and walked toward Draco instead.

"How _dare_ you show your face here!" she yelled at him. Draco looked up at her with immense sadness in his eyes. "Don't look at me like that! You won't get any pity from me Draco Malfoy!"

"I didn't expect any…" he whispered. "I came to apologize and tell you the truth."

"You're disgusting and a coward."

"I still love you! If it wasn't for my father – "

Marie shoved him against the mantle the way Draco did to her earlier in the year. "You are not your father Draco! The fact that you let him break you and turn you into a smaller version of him tells me that I can't trust you! You seemed so different but you let others walk all over you. You forgot who you really are."

Draco was silent for a moment. He knew that Marie was right. If he would have listened to his own mind and heart this would never have happened. He may have had a chance at saving her from this pain. "… Can you forgive me?"

Marie shook her head at first, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She wanted to say yes, but she would never forget what he had done to her, and as long as Lucius was around she couldn't be near Draco anyway. So what was the point? Severus could tell there was no need for him to be present for this drama. He just wished people would stop using his fireplace as King's Cross Station and stay out of his life. Rolling his eyes, he disappeared down the hall to be alone. If Marie needed him (which he doubted) he could move fast enough.

"Draco," she started sadly. "I want to, but I don't think I can. You know why they want me, and you know they'll destroy anyone who goes against them. I understand how you may have been forced into this, just like me, but I don't want to feel responsible for getting you hurt."

He stood up and wiped the cut on his face that continued to bleed. Marie was almost sorry she threw it. "I deserve this I guess," Draco tried to play it off, cleaning his hand on his pants. "Look, I'm not listening to them anymore. I didn't want to do this, but I guess I already have… I told my mother of my plans and she agreed to help me."

"That's shocking." She snapped.

"No, she told me everything. My mother really likes you, Marie. It was Father that disapproved. I talked about you a lot to them and I guess he decided to check into your background." He explained. "I wish he never had. When he found out about your blood, I thought he was going to kill me he was so angry. It came down to ending our friendship, or losing my family, home, and maybe even my life."

Marie was surprised. _It would have gone that far?_ "You could have just told me instead of making me feel like a piece of shit. We trusted each other with so much and yet you couldn't tell me this one thing?" She held the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. "It's just so sad because even though you did this to me, I'm standing here now attempting to justify it. _You _rape _me_, and all I want to do is forgive you and pretend it never happened..."

"I know, I know. I should have just told you. I don't know what came over me that day… I'm sorry for that too. I wanted so badly to just turn around and take it back." Draco began to tear up again. "Listening to you cry as I walked down that hallway killed me…"

She still wasn't sure whether she should hug him or continue to try and hit him. "I'm sure you heard that there was no baby," she sounded slightly disappointed. "I don't think I would make a great mother anyhow."

Draco swallowed hard. "I would have been honored to let you carry my child… on your own time of course." He admitted. "Some days I actually thought of that."

Marie could only stare at him. "You… you mean that?" Draco nodded.

"Maybe one day, if we survive all this and we get them off your back for good, we could start over?" he asked, extremely hopeful. Marie missed looking into his eyes. _Such a beautiful grey..._

Draco did not wait for her answer; he extended his hand to her and when Marie hesitantly took it, he drew her close and held her tight. "Draco…" she didn't know what else to say. _He still smells the same too… Oh God I miss him… But we can't be together. _

The two of them stayed in this position for awhile, just taking in the moment. Soon Draco withdrew and stepped back into the fireplace. "I have to go for now. I'll be telling them I'm following through for as long as I can. I don't know what will happen when they start to know the truth." He warned her.

"I'll try not to blame you, Draco." And with that he disappeared back into the smoke. Marie sat down on the couch slowly. All of this new information only made her more confused. On one hand Draco's actions were unforgivable, but on the other hand they had loved each other for close to seven years. Marie didn't know if she could just throw all of that time away just because Draco had been forced to do Voldemort's bidding.

* * *

><p>Christmas was finally upon Severus and Marie. This was a much deserved celebration for both of them. With all the negativity in their lives, maybe the holiday spirit would be enough to cheer them up – at least for Marie. She couldn't understand why Severus constantly made himself unhappy instead of participating in joyous events like this.<p>

Severus found Marie busy at work in the kitchen. "Up early, are we?" Marie looked up at him and wrinkled her nose – it was covered with what looked like flour. "What in God's name have you been doing?" he looked around to see the counters covered in the white powder. _I'm not cleaning this._

"Making Christmas cookies of course!" she proudly answered, returning to the freshly baked dough. Marie had small tubes of colored frosting in each hand. Severus was dumbfounded. _Cookies?_

"I see…" he moved closer to inspect her work. Each one had a different shape: snowmen, Christmas trees, gift boxes, and the like. _Impressive work, almost professional._ Severus turned his attention to a glass jar nearby that contained some sort of thick liquid. He tapped on the glass. "And this?"

"Home-made egg nog." She replied, still decorating. "Recipe I learned from a relative. It's actually quite good, if you like that sort of thing. I hope you'll try it later." Severus was actually looking forward to it, but said nothing. "Finished!" Marie exclaimed happily, stepping back and admiring her work.

Severus reached for one and she shooed him away. "They're for tonight!" he retracted his hand and shot her a dirty look. "Sorry but rules are rules."

"Rules about cookies? Don't be ridiculous."

Marie grabbed a serving platter big enough for her batch of desserts and carefully placed them on it. "Since tonight is Christmas Eve, when you get to open your present then I can bring this stuff out. I will also be leaving some out for Santa."

Severus thought he was hearing things. "That's an old wise tale for children. He doesn't exist; on top of that, you're almost twenty years old."

"Well I don't care. I'm still doing it because it makes me feel better. That and… that's what I would be doing at home with my family." Severus could hear the sadness creeping up in her voice. _I forgot she actually had something for me under the tree and I just made fun of her. Great._

"I'm sure he'll like them." He tried to be more understanding of Marie. She smiled at him and began to clean up her mess.

As the day went on Marie found various activities to do that reminded her of her home life. She read popular Christmas stories from a book she had in her trunk, found candy canes to nibble on, and just stared into the fireplace while she lay on the floor, curled in a heavy blanket. Marie bewitched the space above her to reflect the weather outside, much like Hogwarts and the Great Hall. Watching snow fall above her, she drifted to sleep.

Severus found her about an hour later, still napping. He noticed the charm above her, the snow was now light and the sky a dark blue. _Such an innocent girl… this is awful. None of this should be happening to her. _He glanced at his gift sitting perfectly beneath the glowing tree. _She didn't need to do that either. I don't have anything for her; it never crossed my mind. _Severus sighed heavily. _When did I become so callous?_ He picked it up carefully, noting the neat wrapping. _I probably haven't touched a present of my own since I was twelve._

Rolling onto her side, Marie watched him observe the box. "If you want to open it, you can," she called out, yawning as she did so. Severus turned his head to acknowledge her; she sat up on the floor, her hair a mess, and pulled the blanket around her some more. "I hope you like it."

Curiosity took hold and Severus pulled the bow, allowing the ribbon to fall. He tore the paper at the sides and once the contents were revealed, he made no sound. _I don't believe this…_ In his hands was something Severus had been after for many years: the missing volume of an ancient Dark Arts collection. The last volume was extremely rare because of how old the books were. Centuries had passed since their creation, and every one Severus found was unsalvageable.

"How did you… where did you…" he was lost for words. He traced the cover of the book; the title still had a silver sheen to it. It appeared to be in fantastic condition. _This has to be the only one in the world. It's too perfect._

Marie just smiled and watched her Professor stare at the book. "I noticed you had the collection on the shelf in this room, and the title stuck out to me. I remembered where I had seen it before: my own school trunk." He walked over to the armchair closest to her and sat down. He opened it and skimmed the pages. _This is the real thing…_

"I tried for years to find a near-perfect copy. How is it that you just happen to have it?" Severus looked down at her.

Marie shrugged. "At first I thought it was some stupid book given to me by my great grandfather. I've actually read it, and it's quite interesting, but it never made sense. Seeing the other books here, I realized I wasn't starting at number one."

"Being able to finish this will be a real treat – a once in a lifetime chance. Marie, thank you." Severus finally sounded genuine in his appreciation.

Marie unknowingly blushed, taken back by his reaction. _I don't think I've ever heard those words come from his mouth in that order. _"I'll go get the egg nog." When she returned, Severus was already buried in the book's pages. She set his glass near him on the table, drank from her own, and made herself comfortable on the couch. Marie listened to Severus rant on about the book, enjoying how happy he finally seemed to be. _Merry Christmas, Professor._


	6. Chapter 6

Marie hadn't seen much of Severus since giving him the last piece of his collection. _I bet he's almost finished at the rate he was going. _She emerged from the shower and quickly dressed, not wanting to miss the countdown for New Years. Severus had obtained a special copy of the Daily Prophet, which would have a display of fireworks on the front page at the stroke of midnight. Marie would have preferred seeing them in person, but she knew the risk. Stepping out into the hallway to head downstairs, Marie noticed a small box by her door. "Oh?" she bent down to pick it up.

Looking around she saw no sign of Severus. _I wonder what it could be._ There was nothing particularly special about the wrapping – just plain black paper. Situating herself in the middle of her bed, she began to tear the paper. Marie's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. Inside the box was a pendant of a mighty silver snake with green markings wrapping itself around what appeared to be a wand. It occasionally hissed, as if protecting it. It was hung on a simple silver chain.

A note was attached and she recognized the handwriting. _Remember who you are – don't let anyone change you. Be proud of yourself. _Marie was stunned that Severus had given her something this wonderful. She hooked it around her neck and watched the snake curl and relax in the mirror. "I don't understand why you don't tell me everything, but I still trust you…"

Severus was still picking at the meal the two of them shared earlier in the evening. The picture on the newspaper began to fill with excited onlookers, ready for the show. He tossed it onto the dining table for a moment. _I wonder if she likes the pendant. It's not much compared to what she gave to me. I'm still in shock over the book._ Severus looked up as Marie entered the room. "Sorry I'm late, I felt gross after cooking." He noticed the snake dangling from her neck, almost nuzzling her chest. _It's as if it's alive; I knew she would like it._

Marie sat down a few chairs away from Severus. She wanted to be closer, but she knew how uncomfortable she must have made him before. "Thank you for this pendant," she began, touching it lightly. The snake flickered its tongue across her skin, approving of her. "It must be very unique – I know I've never seen anything like it before."

"I wouldn't feel right if you were empty handed while I walk away with something so great." Severus explained. "It suits you well anyhow." For some reason Marie felt hot, and realized she was blushing. _Why do I keep doing that?_ She looked away and grabbed the Daily Prophet from the table.

"That's quite a crowd." She quickly changed the subject.

In the kitchen Lucius was hiding in the shadows, undetected by either of them. _I knew Draco's heart was too weak to finish this. It doesn't matter – this job should belong to me. I'll show them all…_ He could hear them continue to talk about the festivities for tonight. Eyeing the already opened bottle of alcohol on the kitchen counter, Lucius made his move. _It's New Years – they have to make a toast. I've always known Severus to drink, especially tonight._ Reaching into his pocket he retrieved a vial of purple liquid. He poured the contents into the alcohol which diluted without a color change and slipped back into the darkness.

"Just a few minutes to go." Marie stated happily. Severus stood from his chair and headed toward the kitchen.

"How about a toast?" she smiled and returned her attention to the paper.

Severus grabbed two glasses from the cabinet and set them down. Reaching for the bottle of Fire Whiskey, he thought he heard a shuffling noise from behind. Turning his head quickly, he saw nothing. _Odd… I could have sworn…_

"Professor, hurry!" Marie called from the other room, breaking his thoughts. Severus finished pouring the drink into the glasses and went back to Marie. He handed her one and remained standing. "I figured you're old enough now, and this is a special occasion after all. Just don't go overboard – it's expensive." He warned. _He cares more about the price than whether or not I become drunk? I guess that's to be expected._

The moment finally came and the grandfather clock from Severus's study could be heard chiming midnight. The crowd in the photograph went wild: cheering, yelling, dancing, and smiling. Some couples rejoiced with kissing and hugging as the fireworks shone bright overhead in all sorts of colors and patterns. "To a better year… for both of us." Marie held her glass up, smiling at Severus. He clinked his glass against hers and raised it to his lips. "I would like that very much."

_Something's not right…_ Severus smelled an added component in the whiskey. He quickly spit it back out but he had already ingested some of it. "Marie, don't drink it!" he began feeling faint. "Don't..." Falling over he reached out to grasp onto a chair for support. He missed and landed on the floor; the glass shattered which sent pieces in every direction. His eyes closing, he watched as Marie's head hit the table. _No this can't... happen again... I promised her..._

* * *

><p>Marie regained consciousness hours later, her head throbbing and wrists aching. <em>What's going on? This floor doesn't look familiar…<em> She lifted her head slowly, her long hair in the way. _Why can't I move my hands? _Marie suddenly realized her wrists were tied behind her back. Wiggling around on the ground, she realized it was no use. Her wand was nowhere in sight and whoever did this was careful enough to secure the rope in a professional manner. This person meant business.

"I see you're awake," Lucius's voice rang out from the distance. Marie gasped and looked in the direction of the sound but only saw darkness.

"Where are you, you coward! Show yourself!" she screamed. She sat up and leaned against the wall. Suddenly there was a loud 'snap' and the room was illuminated by candles. Marie didn't like what she saw: the only item in the room was a mattress.

Lucius grinned. "I don't think you're in any position to be speaking to me like that," he began, taking a step closer with every word. His footsteps echoed across the room which began to look like a dungeon the more Marie looked around. "I'm surprised Severus let his guard down so easily – he almost spotted me in the kitchen. He _has_ been becoming more careless recently."

"You were there the whole time?" she whispered. Her heart began racing at double time. "No… I doubt he would just let you in like that. He's been doing everything he can to make sure I'm okay. He cares about me and –"

Lucius began laughing, almost bordering hysteric. "Someone like _him_ would never care about you – let alone anyone! I can't believe you actually trust him!"

Marie didn't falter in her tone. "I'm not listening to you. I _know_ he's a good person!" Lucius only continued laughing. "He even gave me this," she held her head high to reveal the pendant, "and told me to be proud of myself. That means ignoring judgmental and cruel people like _you_!"

He crouched down in front of her and held the serpent in his hand. He tugged on it roughly, breaking the chain. When Marie protested he slapped her across the face. She watched sadly as he threw it across the room. Grabbing her jaw, he began to lecture her in a dangerous tone. "Listen to me right now: I don't give a damn who you think you can trust. The truth is there is no one out there that cares about you. Not him, not my son, and _especially_ not me. Your only purpose is to produce heirs to be groomed under the care of Voldemort."

Marie began crying. "I never asked for this… I never did anything to your family. Why are you doing this?" Lucius only hit her again, this time knocking her to the floor. He grabbed the knot of rope around her wrists and dragged her to the mattress. "Please, don't!" she began kicking wildly, trying anything to get away. Lucius threw her down and pulled out another potion from his robes.

"I hoped I wouldn't have to use this, but maybe it will make this more enjoyable… for me at least." He smiled darkly. "Drink up, dear." He forced her mouth open and poured the liquid down her throat. Marie choked and tried to spit it up, but it was no use. "In a few moments you won't be able to move a muscle – your only choice will be to lie there and take it."

Lucius was right. Soon Marie lost complete control of her motor skills except for speaking. It was if she was alive, yet dead at the same time. She could still recognize pain and the rest of her senses, but running away was definitely impossible now. While Marie attempted to battle the potion, Lucius had removed most of his clothing. He stood above her, his bare, pale chest rising in falling in time with his breathing. She saw from his body language the pleasure Lucius was already experiencing.

"I must say, at first I didn't like the idea of Draco being with you, but then I learned your little secret," he began, lowering himself and crawling over her. His long blonde hair covered one side of his face. "Truthfully, if it wasn't for Voldemort, I probably would have left you two alone." Marie continued to be quiet but more tears began flowing. "Then again, resisting this would be very difficult…" he used one hand to push her sweatshirt over her chest, revealing her bra.

"Stop…" Marie whispered again. This only fueled the desire Lucius had to continue. He removed one of her breasts and bit down on it as hard as he could. Marie cried out in pain. "Please stop!" Lucius's tongue circled her nipple and he rolled it between his thumb and index finger.

"Continue talking and you'll lose that privilege too." Lucius warned. Roaming his hands down her chest and torso, they rested on the edge of her jeans. Marie whimpered softly as they were unzipped, pulled down and yanked roughly off her legs. Lucius tossed them to the side and did the same to her panties. "Hmmm," he smirked, "are you sure you don't like this?"

"What… what are you talking about? Why would I enjoy this, you pervert?" she yelled.

Lucius slid a finger inside of her with almost no resistance. "Because you're wet." Marie grew angry and her face reddened.

"It's a normal biological response – it doesn't mean I like you, idiot!" she continued yelling at him. Lucius had had just about enough of this. He sat back on his knees for a moment and searched his robes for something in particular. _Here it is…_ Lucius positioned himself over Marie again and stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth, binding it behind her head as to keep it in place.

"I told you to stop fucking talking." He glared at her and unzipped his own trousers. Marie's muffled cries could just barely be heard through the cloth. _It feels like I'm choking… I can't breathe…_ Lucius began stroking himself and positioned his length in front of her entrance. She felt him thrust into her with such force; it felt as if she would be split in half. "I can tell Draco has only been in here once." Lucius chuckled darkly.

_That's because he does care about me, you pig! I may not ever forgive him, but I know he wasn't lying to me…_ Lucius quickly picked up his pace and threw her legs over his shoulders for deeper penetration. _He's too rough, I can't take it. It hurts too much!_ He dug his nails into her thighs for better support, still pounding into her. "I love watching you cry…" he grunted. The tears spilled from her cheeks and onto the mattress. "Too bad I wasn't your first though, I would have loved watching you bleed as well."

Quickly Lucius withdrew from Marie and flipped her over onto her stomach. He lifted her hips to meet him and entered from behind. "I heard this position is better for conception." Lucius continued his twisted laughing. _Do what you will to me, but I will never have your child. Even if I can't stop it, I'll make sure you never get a hold of something so precious._

Marie had given up on fighting the potion for awhile now. She could feel Lucius building up inside of her; his breathing becoming short and fast. "I'm going to love doing this every night…" he moaned, thrusting more quickly. "Yes… Oh that feels wonderful darling…" Lucius gripped her hips tight and held her against him as he came inside her. Marie barely felt it flow out of her and down her legs, but she still knew the evidence was there.

Letting her collapse on to the mattress, Lucius stood and cleaned them with a charm. "The potion should be leaving your system soon. I'm going to untie you, but you're staying down here until I am thoroughly satisfied." He explained, quickly dressing. "And if you know _anything_ about the Malfoy men, you know we're never satisfied." Lucius leaned down and removed the cloth from Marie's mouth.

"Are you going to be so kind as to feed me, or at least give me some sort of bathroom?" she asked sarcastically, yet still weak from earlier. When Lucius untied the rope, her arms only hit the mattress with a 'thud'.

He began to walk away as he responded to her question. "Of course, I'm not _that_ cruel. I'll bring something to eat once a day – maybe more. Depends when I come down for some… play time." Marie rolled her eyes in disgust. "As for the other, I transfixed a small washroom onto the tomb."

"T-tomb?" she yelled. "Is that where I am?"

Lucius ascended the stone staircase in the corner. "Hopefully the ghosts of previous Malfoy family members don't bother you. You'll need your rest." He laughed and exited the room.

"Oh my god…" Marie looked around frantically, hoping she could regain control of her body again. A knot formed in the pit of her stomach, which could have just been from being abused. She knew fighting him could have deadly consequences, but Marie didn't know if she would be rescued any time soon.


	7. Chapter 7

While Marie was undergoing her torture from Lucius, Severus was just now waking. _My head… what happened?_ He slowly opened his eyes until the memory of the spiked alcohol came back to him. He quickly jumped to his feet. "Marie?" Severus shouted frantically, running around his house. _She's not here… I knew I heard something in the damn kitchen! _He kicked a nearby chair, cursing himself for being so irresponsible.

Composing himself, he returned to the living room and grabbed a fistful of Floo Powder. _There's only one person that could help me now._ "Number twelve Grimmauld Place!"

When Severus arrived at the Order's headquarters, the New Year's celebration was still in full swing. There was loud music being played accompanied by dancing, and a full spread of food prepared earlier by Molly Weasley. The fireplace used for travel was down the hall from said "party room". Severus made his way over to the doorway, searching for Dumbledore.

"Ah, look who joined us!" a very drunk Mad Eye Moody called from the corner. He pointed at Severus who only rolled his eyes. The man took another swig of whatever it was that seemed to make him so happy, nearly falling backward in the process. The rest of the room was surprised to see Severus, but in the back of their minds there had to be a serious reason for it.

"I need Dumbledore. _Now._" He practically hissed. Everyone's expressions changed from that of joy to fear. Severus really did know how to command a crowd, that's for sure. A few Order members stepped out of the way to reveal the old wizard sitting comfortable in a chair in the opposite corner of the room.

"Evening, Severus. What brings you here? Is the girl with you?" he smiled over the top of his glasses, looking around for any sign of Marie. "Don't tell me you left her just so you could enjoy the party." He laughed.

"Albus… I need to speak to you _alone_. This is very important!" Severus was growing tired of Dumbledore's nonchalant attitude. Soon he rose from his chair and followed into the hallway.

Dumbledore sighed and shook his head. "You just didn't know how to enjoy anything, Severus. I really think that – "

"She's been drugged and kidnapped. I couldn't stop it because I was under the influence of the potion as well." Severus lowered his voice but his tone remained strong. "I am one hundred percent certain that it was Lucius; he is full of jealousy about Draco being chosen for the task."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, his face saddened. "This isn't good…" Severus crossed his arms and shot a dirty look back into the room where the party had picked back up. _Ignorant fools._ "You know how pre-occupied we have been on this end. I really thought you could handle this."

"You're blaming _me_?" Severus nearly roared. He had never been so angry at the Headmaster before. "I don't even know why you chose me to do this in the first place! Why didn't we just send her back to her family? Do they even know where she is?"

"Don't worry about her family. I've been keeping them informed – just not in great detail." He began to explain. "And I chose you because you are the only person I completely trust. I understand your compromising position with working for both sides, but you should be using that to your advantage, Severus!"

He still didn't comprehend Dumbledore's wishes. All he seemed to hear were empty words. Severus only knew that at this very moment, Marie was God knows where with Lucius Malfoy doing anything and everything to her. "I don't want to feel responsible for another death…" he admitted.

"They're not going to kill her." Dumbledore stated blatantly. "That doesn't mean we just let them have her, though. You said that Lucius has her?"

"I'm positive."

"Use your inside knowledge to find her then. You're smarter than this, Severus. In all actuality, you don't need me." Dumbledore began to walk past Severus to rejoin the others. "I have faith in you."

Severus's hands turned to fists when Dumbledore finally left him. _That crazy bastard… It's like he doesn't even care anymore. Potter isn't the only person suffering in all this for Christ's sake! _He stormed back to the fireplace to return home. _I need a plan – fast._

* * *

><p>Days had passed since Marie was dragged into the Malfoy mausoleum. If you were to ask Marie, it would seem like weeks. Lucius had returned many times to "play" with his new pet. He would bring her scraps of food every time, only letting her eat after he was fulfilled. Marie felt ashamed and only ate once he had left. Lucius had also stopped drugging Marie in order to try better positions with her, much to her dismay. She would rather feel close to nothing.<p>

Pulling his clothes back on after another session, Lucius studied Marie who had once again curled into a whimpering ball. "Now, now… is it really that bad?" he kneeled down beside her and brushed the hair from her face. Marie said nothing. "I thought you were getting used to it."

"That doesn't mean I enjoy it…" she whispered.

"I think you should. That's one of the many pleasures of being human." Lucius grinned. He traced the outlines of her curves with his fingertips. It sent shivers all over Marie's body.

"But I don't love you, so therefore I can't enjoy it."

Lucius laughed again. "Oh you have much to learn. Sex doesn't have to be about love… or even like." his fingers found their way down her side and slid in between her legs. She whimpered even more. "I feel bad that I get to come so many times but you don't…" he pressed on further and lightly touched her sweet spot. This elicited a sharp gasp from Marie. "That's what I thought… You've wanted to the whole time." Lucius shifted her so she was flat on her back.

"No…" she fought the wonderful feeling rising up through her body. As sick as this was, Marie knew it felt good. He was truly the first person to touch her in this way. Lucius began circling his fingers and applying more pressure. Her back arched and her legs opened wider.

"That's it… Enjoy it. You're going to be here for a long time anyhow…" he purred. Watching Marie writhe in pleasure beneath him only made Lucius ready for another round. Keeping his thumb on her clitoris, he inserted a few fingers into her. "Fight it all you want – you're clenching your walls now too."

Marie only continued to moan and buck her hips. _No one has even done this before… I didn't want it to be him…_"You can make me finish, but you can't make me think of you!" she panted.

"Oh? And just who _are_ you thinking about? Draco?" he slid in and out of her faster, making sure to go deeper each time.

Marie bit her lip for a moment. "As much as it hurts… I can't trust him ever again…" she cried out loudly; Lucius's thumb had grazed over her in such a way it made her see stars.

"Then who?"

No answer.

"I said who!" he hit the spot over and over. Marie nearly screamed, her muscles tensing painfully.

"It's… it's…" she began crying, unable to speak the man's name. "I know he's going to find me…"

Lucius's eyes widened at this. "Spending all that time at his place has made you fall for him? How cute." He teased her sarcastically. "I'm sure if you just asked he would do this too."

"No!" Marie yelled. "He would never do this! He's not like you, and neither is Draco!" Lucius grew tired of her arguing.

"Well, if you're picturing these fingers to be his, why not have _all_ of him?" he reached down and unzipped his pants, releasing himself once more. Lucius situated himself on top of Marie with his fingers still working behind him. "Open your mouth…" Marie shook her head. "Do it or I'll ram it in!" Slowly she opened and Lucius entered her slowly.

It was nearly impossible for Marie to breathe normally. She only looked up at the man that was giving her pleasure and pain at the same time. _Is this what my life has become?_ Becoming dizzy from seeing nothing but Lucius's stomach come toward her face and then back away, she closed her eyes. _He's going to find me… I just know he will… I trust him. He's all I have now…_ Marie didn't understand why she kept thinking of Severus through all of this.

Lucius began making his usual sounds as he came closer to finishing. Marie continued moaning, but her sounds couldn't be heard at all. His fingers felt magical and evil at the same time. "It may be a waste… but I'm going to love coming in that mouth of yours. You better drink it all…" he snarled. Suddenly Marie felt his hot seed hit the back of her throat. He didn't remove himself until all of it was swallowed; it tasted sweet to her.

"That's it… drink up, dear." He rode out the last few shocks of his orgasm before returning to finish Marie's. Lucius withdrew from her mouth and fingered her faster. "Ooh, clenching even harder now? I love it…" Marie couldn't fight it any longer. Her hips bucked one last time, as did her back, almost launching her off the mattress.

"Severus!"

Lucius grinned and licked his fingers. "Too bad – I really do like you. Maybe I'll tell him about this. When you get back to his place he could finally have some fun." Marie was still panting from the force of her orgasm. He quickly dressed and left Marie to her thoughts. He had spent too much time in the mausoleum tonight and didn't want to be caught.

_I don't really like him… do I? Of course I don't! He's my teacher! Then why… Why do I keep thinking about him? _


	8. Chapter 8

Draco still was having trouble sleeping, even after apologizing to Marie over a month ago. He got out of bed to take a walk out in the garden. _It helped when I was younger, it should help now. _Slipping on some shoes, he quietly made his way out the backdoor of the manor and down the winding path. As Draco continued on his way, something caught his eye in the distance. _Is that… Dad?_ He darted behind a bush and stared intently at his father.

Lucius seemed to be paranoid: looking over his shoulder, smoothing out his clothing, and briskly walking back to the house. He took a different route than what Draco was hiding on. _What was he doing in the family crypt? _Once the coast was clear, he sprinted toward the opening.

Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. The mausoleum was still creepy as ever. It always bothered Draco that even his afterlife would be spent on the same piece of property. Chalking his suspicions up to no more than just that, he began to walk away. He stopped again when he thought he heard crying. _That doesn't sound like just a ghost…_

Marie had pulled her undergarments back on, along with just her sweatshirt. She had found the pendant Severus gave to her and was clutching it in her hand. _I just want to go back… before any of this happened._ The constant crying had given her a massive headache, which only made her cry more. It was a vicious cycle she couldn't seem to break.

Draco made his way through the maze that was the tomb's hallways. _That crying sounds like it's Marie's. Maybe I'm just imagining things… _He then saw the faint candlelight coming from the main room. _What the hell?_ Descending the short staircase, Draco finally saw the source of the crying. "Oh my god…" his hands flew to the top of his head in disbelief.

Lifting her head up in a daze, Marie saw the outline of a blonde haired figure. "Back for more are you?" she weakly challenged the man. "That didn't take long…" her head fell back down onto the mattress. Draco ran toward her and collapsed by her side.

"Marie… What the hell did he do to you? How long have you been here?" he yelled, trying to hold her up straight. Her head only fell back – the pain of her now full blown migraine was sending her to sleep. "Marie?" Draco lightly shook her. "Dammit!" he set her back down.

_Come on, Draco, think! You need to get her out of here!_ "That's it, I know where to go." Grabbing her jeans and shoes, Draco helped Marie slip them back on. "I'm getting you out of here!" Using all of his strength he began to exit the tomb with her over his shoulder. "Just a few more steps and we can get you back to Sn – "

"Ah, Draco… I'm glad you're here." To his horror, Lord Voldemort and Severus were just outside the crypt. The Dark Lord grinned at the spectacle in front of him. Severus showed no emotion whatsoever.

"M-my Lord… I… "Draco began, still clutching onto Marie who was barely conscious. His heart was racing now.

Voldemort merely held up his hand. "I already know what's been going on – Severus has informed me. I am very displeased with your father, to say the least." He inched closer to Draco, eyeing Marie carefully. _So this is what it's like to be in her presence…_

Draco set her down carefully against the outside wall of the crypt. "What's going to happen to her? And to Father?" he asked, beginning to shake.

"Yes, about him… Go get him for me, will you boy? What I need to say should be said in front of everyone that is present." Draco was hesitant to leave Marie with them unattended. _I wouldn't stand a chance against them anyway. I just hope this ends soon…_ Voldemort watched him return to the manor until he was out of sight. He looked back at Marie with almost a loving stare.

"Is everything alright, my Lord?" Severus finally spoke. His body felt like it was on fire with rage. _Stop looking at her like that. Stop it! Disgusting…_

"Oh Severus, you have no idea how much it pains me to not be able to do this myself." Severus cringed on the inside. "I despise having to elect others who, in my opinion, deserve nothing at all. Draco tries, but he's just a boy. His heart hasn't fully crossed over." Voldemort shook his head slowly. "Pity…"

Marie's eyes began to flutter and she felt much colder. _Am I outside…?_ Opening them more she noticed Severus first. She thought she might have been dreaming. _It's him… I knew he would come… Wait. Is that… IT IS._ "You!" she yelled, now fully alert. "It's you! Oh no, no, no…" Marie fought her migraine in an attempt to move away. Voldemort laughed as she just fell back to the ground, supporting herself on all fours.

"Look at that… I don't even need magic to stop you." He sneered. "What's the matter? Does your head hurt? I know everything about you, dear. Migraines since you were twelve years old, correct?" Marie began breathing heavily. This frightened her more than anything Lucius could ever come up with. She noticed the familiar pair of black boots just a few feet away from her.

"I didn't want to believe it, but Lucius was right," she began, slowly looking up at Severus. "It's all clear to me now. You pretend to give a shit about others, but you really don't. You were going to turn me in this whole time!"

_No, that's not true Marie! I only told him because I wanted to get you away from Lucius… I knew Voldemort would hate what he has done, and you would be back with me…_ Severus's expression remained stone cold.

Voldemort sensed Draco returning with Lucius, and focused his attention on them. "Get over here, NOW!" he roared at the older blonde, pointing at the ground in front of him. Lucius looked terrified – he knew he was caught. He felt like a child that was about to be punished by his parents. Draco knelt down and tried to console Marie by rubbing her back. She pulled away at first, but then let him continue. The world felt like it was spinning to her.

"My Lord, I only did this because I knew Draco couldn't any – "Voldemort pulled out his wand and jabbed it underneath his chin with great force.

"I thought I told you not to interfere!" He hissed through bared teeth. "I have had to put up with you for _years_ and you continue to disappoint me!"

"I'm sorry my Lord…" Lucius whispered, now fearing for his life. "I became greedy and jealous and… and… I know it was wrong…" Voldemort only applied more pressure to his throat.

"Yes, beg for forgiveness like the coward you are. I have every reason I need to blast you to pieces right here, right now." Draco was now concerned. He may have hated his father more than anything in the world at that moment, but the monster was still his father. "… But I won't. As much as I would love to, Draco still needs you."

Lucius was shocked at such forgiveness. He sunk to the ground and practically groveled at Voldemort's feet. Severus had never seen the man so broken before. _You're damn lucky, Lucius._ Voldemort merely shook him off and addressed the rest of them. "Now that the damage has been done, I feel I have no choice but to let the child grow. This _was_ the whole goal, anyhow…" he looked back at Marie who was still struggling poorly with her migraine.

"My Lord," Severus began. "We still have to make it seem as if she is under my care. The last time I checked, that dunderhead of a Headmaster believes me. Old age must be getting to him." Voldemort paused for a moment then began to nod slowly.

"Yes… Find a way to conceal it from them. You have my permission to do this, Severus. It appears you are the only one I can trust anymore." He looked once again at Lucius who hadn't stopped groveling. "Get your act together, will you? Pathetic…" Using his dark magic, he vanished into the night.

The following moments of silence seemed to last for an eternity. No one knew what to say, or who should speak first. Severus only stared at the two younger individuals. Their pain reminded him of his own youth with everything being stolen from him. Marie's innocence – gone; Draco's first true love – smashed. He doubted greatly they could ever patch things in the near or distant future. _I hope it was worth it you goddamn coward. I hope you rot in the pits of Hell when this is over… even that would be too good for you…_

"Pick her up and come with me." Draco looked up at Severus but he was frozen to his spot next to Marie on the ground. He only shook his head. Severus sighed impatiently. "We don't have time for this, boy. Let's GO." Slowly Draco complied and gingerly helped Marie to her feet.

"Please make something for her when we get there…" he asked in barely a whisper.


	9. Chapter 9

Draco had no intention of leaving Marie's side. Severus had made her a potion that had her sleeping for a whole day now. Sitting at the edge of her bed Draco held her hand, slowly stroking it. His eyes were red from crying and his clothes a mess. Severus urged him many times to head home and take care of himself, but he refused.

"Any changes?" Severus stood in the doorway, watching Draco for a moment. He only shook his head. Sighing heavily Severus walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're probably not very fond of me either right now, but I assure you I have been doing everything I can for her."

Draco sniffled a bit and wiped his face with his sleeve. "Why did it have to be her…" he muttered. Just then a rustling sound came from Marie's direction. She shifted beneath the blankets and groaned slightly. Opening her eyes slowly, everything from the past week came flooding back to her.

"Marie…" Draco tightened his grip on her hand, happy she was now awake. She quickly sat up and retracted her hand, her eyes darting between Draco and Severus. Marie pulled her legs close to her chest defensively.

"Get away from me…" she glared at Severus. "I can't believe I trusted you!" Severus rolled his eyes and walked to the other side of the bed. She flinched when he leaned down, bracing himself with one hand on the headboard. He had enough of her attitude, regardless of her situation.

"Don't you ever think for one second that I have turned on you. For the past five months, all I have done is sheltered you here! Do you think I like being a babysitter? I DON'T. The _only_ reason why anyone cares about you is because of your blood and that _thing_ inside you. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have to be dealing with this! If it weren't for me, you'd be in a much worse situation; one that you could _never_ imagine. Hold your tongue next time and think before you open your damn mouth!" Severus could have sworn he turned pure red after his rant. Pulling away from Marie who was now crying, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door. Draco could only stare, his mouth agape.

Dragging herself to the bathroom, Marie locked the door behind her. She couldn't believe what she just heard… but then again she could. _I guess he has done a lot for me that I haven't noticed._ Supporting herself on the bathroom sink she splashed water on her face. Draco had begun knocking softly on the door. _Draco… Another problem on top of this one…_ Marie rubbed her abdomen lightly. This was not going to be an easy route to take.

* * *

><p>Days passed since Severus had lashed out at Marie, and since they had seen each other. He did everything he could to avoid her. Draco, however, had barely left at all – some nights he slept over in the living room. She had to let him know how she really felt before he was hurt even further.<p>

"Draco?" Marie came down the stairs to find him on the couch. "I didn't think you would still be up… it's nearly 3am." She sat next to him.

"I don't sleep much since… well you know…" Draco shifted to allow her more room. "H-how do you feel?"

Marie thought for a moment, still not sure. "Well I can't say that I'm happy, but I'm still alive so that's something I guess…" she shrugged. "I just think that… you shouldn't stay here anymore. You would be better off away from all of this."

Draco swallowed hard. "No, I don't want to leave you. I want to make this right! I lo-"

"Don't." She stopped him, knowing where this was going. "I'm not blaming you for anything, but things can never been the same Draco. The sooner we realize that, the faster we can get over it." Marie bit her lip to keep from crying. They had lost out on something real before it even began.

He was silent for awhile, knowing she was right. No matter how much he wished to fix everything, he was powerless. "If… if that's what you think is best…" he eventually whispered. "I'll go back to the Manor tomorr-"

She kissed him.

Draco was stunned. Marie threw her arms around him and pulled him close. How he wished this could last forever. Their lips never broke contact as his hands slowly made their way up her night shirt, resting just below her breasts. Before he could move any further he tasted something salty as it hit his lips – tears. "I'm sorry…" Marie looked in his eyes one more time before rushing upstairs. Draco sighed heavily, leaning back against the couch, knowing it was the last time he would see her for a very long time.

* * *

><p>Marie was never one to apologize first but in this case she felt she needed to. There was more she needed to discuss with Severus outside of his upset. Exiting the kitchen with a tray of tea and "please forgive me" muffins she prepared earlier, Marie made her way to his study. "Professor?" She called out. Hearing shuffling coming from inside, she called out again. The door opened and slowly swung open.<p>

"What?" Severus didn't even bother to look up from his desk. He seemed to be preoccupied with some sort of paperwork. _Hogwarts isn't even in operation right now. What could be so… forget it._ Marie shook the thought and took a few steps further into the room.

"I… I just thought I should apologize for acting like, well, a brat." She placed the tray on his desk, hoping for some sort of reaction. "I'm sorry…" Marie started wringing her hands when she received none. "Okay, well um… You're busy so I'll just…" she began walking away.

Severus finally acknowledged her, first noticing the peace offering on his desk. He sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair. "Wait." Marie turned around again. He pinched the bridge of his nose and thought of what to say. He hated apologies as much as she did. "I shouldn't have said those things to you. I expected you to trust me when I haven't even told you a single piece of information about why you should." Severus realized how unfair it was for everyone involved to ask this of Marie.

She stood in silence, only nodding. "There's another reason why I wanted to talk to you," she began, already feeling her eyes tear up. "I want… I want to keep it." Marie shut her eyes tight, refusing to cry.

He stared at Marie as if she grew another head and extra limbs. "Why on earth would you want to do that? After what that monster did? And what about Draco – does he know this?" Severus ran a hand through his hair, trying to cope with what he just heard.

"I just want it to stop…" The tears finally came. "If I could only get this to stop…" Marie began shaking, covering her mouth with her hands. She knew that if she drank another potion, Voldemort would sick some other creep on her. Her only escape was to carry to term and hope he would be defeated before then. "I've sent Draco away for his own good."

Severus was lost for words. He could see the logic in her plan, but what was to happen if Voldemort _wasn't_ defeated? Marie would be put through the same torture again and again, possibly winding up with multiple births. He slammed his fists on the desk, startling Marie and knocking the tea cup onto the floor.

"Dammit…" Severus breathed heavily. "No let me get it…" He said while standing, noticing Marie moving to clean the mess. They both knelt on the ground and reached for it at the same time. When their hands grazed each others, she was reminded of her first night here. Marie had terrible nightmares and to her surprise Severus stayed with her, even falling asleep next to her. She sat back on her knees and smirked.

"I don't see what would be so amusing right now…" Severus cleaned the tea with a charm and placed the cup on his desk. For some reason he remained kneeling on the floor with her.

Marie wiped her eyes and chuckled a bit. "You're not as scary as you look, you know. I _did_ wake up that first morning and saw you in the chair next to the bed." She admitted. _Fuck_, he thought, his expression remaining stone cold. "…Holding my hand." Marie added quietly, now rising to her feet.

"I haven't the slightest idea as to what you're talking about." Severus also stood, becoming uneasy. He wondered what she sought to gain from this. Marie shook her head slowly.

"You don't need to admit anything, forget I mentioned it." The urge to cry swelled up within her again – she needed to leave. "I'm sorry about the tea, but enjoy the snacks." Marie quickly left the study and headed straight for bed. She had a lot racing through her mind at one time.

Severus remained frozen to his spot. He had forgotten all about his actions that night. _There is absolutely nothing wrong with sitting with a person in pain. That's all I did. The nightmares triggered this… this "hand holding" she speaks of. _

Marie stared at the ceiling as she laid in bed, replaying the past week's events in her mind. She remembered Lucius questioning her about her… _interest_. Whenever she was in Severus's presence, Marie felt a strange mixture of fear and comfort; that she could be calmed without him saying one word. In the back of her mind she knew her protesting of his loyalties was unnecessary. With Draco on the other hand, all she felt was sadness and just how much he resembled his father. Any plans they may have had were crushed in her opinion, and no begging on Draco's part could make her change her mind. The damage had been done, and the only question she had left was if anyone could ever accept her without wanting to use her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: I've gotten so many follows and favorites! Thank you all! The only thing that bothers me is the lack of reviews. Good or bad, I want them! It really motivates me to keep writing, especially because this was meant for my eyes only at one point. A few friends had convinced me to post it. So go ahead and tell me anything you think :)**

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><p>"I wonder if it likes me…" Marie was lounging on the couch, running her fingers over her protruding abdomen. Severus was searching through a nearby bookcase. He raised an eyebrow, overhearing her comment.<p>

"I don't think it is capable of having feelings yet; or any opinions at all for that matter." He then occupied an armchair near Marie, beginning to read. Severus was not certain he knew how to interact with her anymore. Every time he looked at her, he began to have chilling images of how she came to this. Another thing that bothered him was her decision to accept this "fate".

He shook it off for the millionth time, grateful that they both were being assisted through this. A personal Healer that had been recruited by the Dark Lord years ago was checking in on Marie's progress every week. Severus was not comfortable with another one of Voldemort's lackeys handling her, but he realized that a Healer knew best – the only positive being the Healer was a woman.

Marie sighed heavily, breaking Severus's train of thought. He had been stuck on the same sentence for nearly fifteen minutes now. "I don't know," she began sadly, sitting up straight. "I thought women were supposed to have this connection with their child. I just feel… nothing." She looked at him with a worried expression.

_Merlin, how am I supposed to answer her questions? I've never been through this before, and on top of that I'm a man – we don't fixate on feelings._ Severus simply gave a shrug. "There's still around five months left. Give it some time and you may feel better." He looked down at his book once more.

She didn't like that answer. "Something has to be wrong." Marie muttered, continuing to feel her ever-growing bump. There was still no sign of life that she could sense, other than the obvious (and annoying) weight gain. _I haven't felt a single kick yet – how much more depressing can this be?_

While Marie continued to poke away, the fireplace roared. Both of them looked up to see Draco waving the smoke from in front of his face. Severus rolled his eyes and tossed his book onto the coffee table. _You've got to be kidding! I give up! These brats are going to be the death of me…_

"W-what are you doing here?" Marie asked nervously, attempting to stand up. She misjudged just how complicated getting off a couch was, and fell back down. _Is he still not able to accept this?_ Draco sat next to her, barely acknowledging Severus.

"Mother told me about your decision and I just _had_ to come and talk to you." he began, clearly out of breath. "I rushed over as soon as I-" He looked down at her belly and lost his words. Slowly Draco placed his hands upon the bump, as if his eyes were playing tricks on him. _Why is she going through with it…_ He swallowed hard, feeling a wave of rage surge from his core.

Severus glanced from Draco, back to Marie, who was looking at him for help. _"What should I do?" _was written all over her face. Clearing his throat, he intervened. "Draco, she believes that carrying this child will buy her time, and most importantly some _peace_. Hopefully within the next five months the war would have ended and she can raise the child in a proper manner."

Marie realized that Draco was not buying the explanation. His gaze remained fixed on her abdomen, a mixture of anger and hurt in his eyes. "It's the truth, Draco. Do you think I wanted this? The only way to keep myself safe is to do what they want."

He shook his head. "You shouldn't have to do any of this! My father deserves a Dementor's Kiss for what he's done and –"

"Your _father_ should be punished, but not this child." Marie raised her voice and her tone deepened. "If you only came here to upset me, then I'll have to ask you to leave. I've already made up my mind about this, even if it takes years."

Draco ran a hand through his hair. _What if it does take years? _"I don't want to lose you forever." He admitted quietly. "That's why I came… I thought… I thought I could get you to change and we could-"

"What? Run away?" Marie scoffed. "And where would we go Draco? If you hadn't noticed, the only person who has cared enough this entire time is sitting right over there!" She jerked her head in Severus's direction. "If you care enough about us," she pointed toward her belly "you'll stay away until this is over like I asked months ago." Her temper was rising and she suddenly felt sick. Her face twisted and she bent over, her face in her hands. She was feeling short of breath and nauseous.

Severus noticed the change before Draco and walked over to them. Taking Draco by the arm, he pulled him aside into the next room. "I understand what you are trying to do, but you simply must not meddle in this. The last thing she needs to hear is that you got yourself killed trying to be a hero." He sternly ordered. Draco nodded after a few moments of silence.

"You've been there for her this long, so I suppose you're right. I was being selfish…" Even after Marie said goodbye to him months ago, his desire to help her remained strong, and even deepened. "I'll just go then." Draco swallowed hard again and went back to the living room. Noticing Marie was looking ill, he placed a hand on her back. "I know you will keep telling me to leave, but it's too hard. You may see me in a few more months, but I won't talk about this anymore, I promise."

Marie lifted her head slowly. "You always were stubborn…" Draco placed a kiss on the top of her head and left through the fireplace, waving before the flames took him away.

Severus was more suspicious of her sudden condition. "Perhaps I should send for the Healer?" He suggested.

"There's no need to involve Miss Gertie." Marie slowly stood and made her way to the staircase. "This little visit just upset me is all. I should be able to sleep it off."

* * *

><p>Marie's health had declined considerably in the past few days. Being too stubborn to admit anything, she hid in her room and snuck food when she had the strength. Not seeing her for quite some time, Severus became suspicious. He had caught her in her attempts to be stealthy, but said nothing. It seemed every night she looked worse: stumbling, her skin paler than usual and extreme coughing fits. A couple times he heard her vomiting. Feeling it was time to confront her he knocked on her door.<p>

"You're not getting any better. It's time we called her, and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer." Severus thought he heard muffled crying from inside the room, and he knocked again. "This is the last warning – you better be decent." After waiting a few seconds he opened the door slowly. "Are you even listening-"

Marie was propped up in bed, tears running down her face and the sheets soaked in blood. Clutching her abdomen she looked at Severus. "This… it just started…" She managed to say. Her breaths were short and the pain beginning to shoot through her body was becoming unbearable.

Severus reacted instantly. He rushed to the fireplace in order to seek more professional help. _I knew something was wrong! I swear if this is all because that damn boy can't keep his emotions in check, he'll have to deal with me…_

"Why is this happening?" Marie groaned and threw her head back. She could feel her muscles contracting and cramping. Looking back down she felt another rush of blood and became extremely light headed. _Where did he go? Am I going to die from this…?_

Severus returned and the Healer took the lead. "I had a feeling this would happen, Severus. I don't like this at all." They both rushed upstairs quickly, Gertie taking the lead. _She… knew? Is this more than stress related?_ Marie heard the loud footsteps and thanked Merlin they were back. Immediately she got to work.

"You can help me by retrieving a generous amount of Blood-Replenishing Potion. I have everything else with me except that." She instructed while emptying the supply bag she brought with her. He nodded and left the woman to her work. Gertie was actually the wife of a fellow Death Eater, facing the same fate similar to that of Narcissa Malfoy - only roped into this disaster because of her husband. She was much younger than her husband and Severus, but her skills were unmatched. Marie and Severus trusted her completely.

"Lay your head back and breathe normally, dear." Marie did as she was told and tried to control her breathing again. Gertie cast a continuous cleaning charm, but it was if her body pumped it faster than the magic could compete with. _She was so sure about keeping this child, but her body is furious. Could it be Defensive Magical Rejection…?_

Severus returned with what seemed like a case of vials. He always had this particular potion ready to go because of his… work. Gertie had draped a clean sheet over Marie's lower half for more privacy. "I need you to administer those while I keep working. Every 15 minutes please – this is more severe than I assumed." He took up a seat at Marie's side and opened the first bottle.

"Because of the pain it may be wiser to down it all at once." He handed it over to Marie whose hand was shaking. She managed to swallow the contents of the first vial before another wave of cramping began.

"We have to wait until her body fully expels the fetus…" Gertie exchanged nervous glances with Severus as Marie now writhed in pain, her hands gripping the bed. The next schedule vial was given to her, yet there was still no progress. When the final round of cramps came to pass, Marie couldn't handle it anymore. This had to be the one they were all waiting on.

"Just hold on a little longer." Gertie prepared another set of sheets to capture the remains. The seconds felt like years to her – her insides were on fire. Gripping the bed again, she felt something other than the sheet. Severus outstretched his arm and offered his hand to her. _Once again she's helpless. I can't stand it anymore. These people are monsters… To think I haven't heard from or seen Albus in months. He has no idea what she's dealing with here._

Marie held onto him as tight as possible, fearing she might have even been hurting him. "I'm sorry I tried to do this…" She whispered. "I thought it would stall everything and make it better… I'm sorry…" Severus couldn't respond; he had no idea as to what to say. He only let her continue to hold his hand.

After listening to nothing but Marie's cries of pain, Gertie finally spoke. "It's done." She quickly wrapped up the tiny being before Marie could look. Severus, however, caught a glimpse of it. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. It hurt him just as much to be witnessing this. "Give her one more dose and step outside – I need to talk to you." Gertie finished cleaning and exited the room quickly. She couldn't announce this to Marie in her current condition.

Once Marie drank down a third bottle, she caught her breath. He slowly let go of her hand. "Keep note of the time. I want you to finish all of these." Severus began to stand. "I'll be back." He closed the door behind him.

Severus found Gertie pacing in the hallway. "I don't suppose this was a normal miscarriage." He approached her and lowered his voice. The young witch shook her head in disbelief.

"With knowing all the details of her situation, I have to say no. Since she is an heir of such powerful blood and magic, it is completely possible she inherited this condition." Gertie began, piecing things together. "Certain witches just simply cannot give birth without first being truly accepting of the father. She may have wanted to carry to term to save herself, but if Lucius is to continue this, every pregnancy will end like this."

Severus was silent and quite shocked himself. He had never heard of such a thing before. "You know the Dark Lord isn't going to want to hear this. There isn't anyone else he would pick from besides himself and you and I both know he is incapable of reproduction."

The two of them were at a loss for words. _She is no good to him at this point if this is true. Gertie has to report to him – she can't lie. He wouldn't kill her, but what else could he do? _

Marie had slowly made her way to the door and pressed her ear against it. It was terribly difficult to stand, but she wanted to know what they were discussing. The fact that they left in such a hurry struck her as odd. _What's going to happen to me now?_


	11. Chapter 11

Severus and Gertie found themselves standing outside of Malfoy Manor, terrified to step inside. Voldemort had not been informed of Marie's condition yet, and they both could only imagine how he would react. Gertie knew how to handle herself in front of the Dark Lord rather well for being so new but Severus still wondered what the new plan would be. _Murdering her would be a waste – he wouldn't want that… but there are no choices left for a father…_

"Don't just stand there!" Narcissa poked her head out from the front door looking stressed out. "Do you want us all to be cursed? Come inside!" She led the two into the formal dining room where Voldemort had taken a seat at the head of the table. Although he had been less than helpful, Lucius was sitting by his side.

Voldemort pretended to still be interested in what Lucius had to say to him as he motioned for the two to sit down. Eyeing them carefully as they settled in he knew something was wrong. "What's happened to the girl?" He immediately barked. Gertie looked at Severus and then back to her Lord. She could feel the pressure building, all eyes on her.

"H-her body has rejected the child. She lost it." Gertie stated blankly, remembering he hated extra details.

Voldemort merely shrugged this off. "She's just stressed. Lucius," he now faced him. "It seems you can prove yourself to me again. This time make sure you don't torture her."

Lucius began to rise from his seat, happy to have another mission. "It's not that simple, my Lord." Gertie began to explain. Lucius sat back down, the same frown returning to his face. The man looked as if he had not slept in weeks. No doubt the verbal, and possible physical, lashings he received from Voldemort were brutal.

"Explain."

Clearing her throat, Gertie began to elaborate. "As you already know, Marie's blood contains very powerful and, I'm afraid, still potent magic. She has inherited the condition that has plagued many famous wizarding families and their birth rates. In order for her to carry a healthy child to term, she has to be fully accepting of the father first."

Voldemort's gaze on Gertie became more intense with each passing word. He knew exactly what disorder this was. Minutes passed without him uttering a sound, anger swelling in his chest. _I will not let this go to waste. There must be another way…_

Breaking the silence first was Lucius laughing darkly with his head hung low. Lifting his head, the laughter became louder, bordering the insane. Everyone stared at him until he finally stopped. "I know _exactly_ how to fix this problem my Lord…" Lucius grinned and pointed at Severus. "Have him do it."

Severus swallowed hard but kept his composure. He was not expecting to be put on the spot in such a manner. "You know damn well my blood is not pure. It would never work anyhow. Did you not hear Gertie correctly?" His sarcastic reply had no effect on Lucius who continued the sinister laughing.

"She's _mad_ for you Severus! The whole time I had her to myself, she was screaming _your _name!" He found this extremely amusing. Severus, however, did not. "To think anyone could love you, especially after how you ruined your chances with that redhead…" That was it.

Slamming his fists on the table, he stood up abruptly, nearly flipping the heavy wooden chair over in the process. "You're an arrogant fool – and delusional as well! You're lucky that our Lord even kept you alive after your disobedience!" If Lucius said one more thing he would leap across the table and kill him himself.

"Enough!" All eyes switched back to Voldemort who had been absorbing all the information he had just heard. "Both of you calm down and stop acting like children strutting about the school playground." Severus slowly took his seat, his temper still flaring.

"What I said was true." Lucius muttered in Voldemort's direction. He held up his hand to silence his servant.

"This is all very interesting, however Severus is right – there is a purity problem with the blood." He became silent and lost in thought again. Severus was relieved. _Good – this doesn't need to go any further._

"On the other hand, time is of the essence, and I suppose one generation could not hurt. By the time they grow up, there would be more of a selection to choose from. We are winning this war and the rest of the world shall know of Purebloods as the only true masters." Voldemort cackled to himself, a smug look on his face.

Severus felt as if he was hit by the Hogwarts Express. The shock was all over his face – Gertie's as well. He opened his mouth to speak but could not find any words.

"Is there a problem Severus?" Lucius taunted the other man. "You should be _happy_. You're carrying out the master's will."

"M-my Lord… although I am truly honored that I find myself in your plans, I have some reservations about-"

"Nonsense." Voldemort cut him off. "If you are worried about your performance, then I shall grant you some time for _practice_." He grinned again and laughed to himself. "Think of this as a gift from me to you." He stood from his chair and dismissed the meeting. Once he left the room, Severus turned again to Lucius.

"You're a complete bastard. Do you know that? You couldn't leave well enough alone. You had to be selfish before. Now you have me roped into something I never wanted to be a part of. I hope you rot alone in the mausoleum you dragged her into." Ignoring Lucius's retort, Severus stormed from the manor, debating where to go. Home was no longer a place he wanted to be.

* * *

><p>"Where are you Albus?" Severus roared, stampeding through each room of the Order's headquarters. It was nearly midnight and the place seemed deserted. He heard multiple pairs of footsteps scurrying down the hall.<p>

"What's with all the noise? What's going on?" Mad-Eye waved his wand around the room as a source of light. Tonks poked her head out from behind Mad-Eye and furrowed her brow.

"Oh. It's just you. I thought there would be a real fight…" was all she could say. She exited the room disappointed and left the 'boys' to themselves. Severus ignored her and approached the other man.

"Where in the world is Albus? I have not spoken to him in _months_ and something terrible has happened." He quickly explained, not wanting to waste another moment. "You must know where he is."

Mad-Eye sighed for a moment. "There's been an accident, Severus. He's been bed ridden for ages. I thought you had been told by now." Severus shook his head quickly.

"Take me to him."

Mad-Eye had led Severus to the very top floor of the Black House to a private room. He stopped outside the door and began to whisper. "I have to warn you though, his appearance is… not the same." Knocking on the door they both heard a very faint response. Severus opened the door slowly and stepped inside.

The room was dimly lit until Severus closed the door and walked further in. He saw Albus sprawled in an armchair in the corner. As he walked closer the after effects of this accident became more apparent – nearly half of his face, perhaps even his torso, including one arm was scorched black.

"Albus… What happened to you?" Severus reached out to take the damaged arm but was quickly yelled at.

"No! Anyone who tries to come near this becomes cursed. I cannot tell you how many times everyone in this house has had a disfigurement or some other nonsense…" He sighed heavily, obviously weary of this situation already.

Severus suddenly regretted for speaking ill of Albus. _No one told me about this…_ "Are you sure there is nothing anyone could do?" He only shook his head.

"I heard you yelling from all the way up here – what has happened?" He shifted slowly in his seat, attempting to sit up straight.

Severus explained every detail of what had happened up until tonight's disaster. Albus was silent and truly disgusted at what Lucius had done to Marie. It pained him to hear all of this. "… and tonight at the meeting after her disorder was made known, Lucius revealed that she has feelings for… _me._" He had paused partly for a response, and partly because he did not believe it.

"You?" Albus seemed confused. "So Voldemort has chosen you to take Lucius's place? Based upon something he could have made up?"

"I'm afraid so. I doubt one hundred percent that anything Lucius said has validity, but he believed the lies. This whole war needs to end and end soon because there is absolutely no way I will comply. He will never kill the girl, but I doubt I am just as important."

The old Headmaster looked around the room. "I'm at a loss for words here Severus… In all of my years I have never come across such a predicament. I can only hope that one of us has some sort of epiphany and you do the right thing."

Severus scoffed and became frustrated. "I have not known what the 'right' thing was since I had to take her into my home! Now it's either father a child with her, which may not even work or die and compromise everything we have worked toward!" He rubbed his temples and paced around the room. He had spied for countless years, witnessed terrible murders and other dealings, but this had to be the worst yet.

"What if… what if what Lucius said is true?" Albus questioned. Severus spun around and stared at the man. "No hear me out. Despite my own condition, I am quite confident that we will win this, and soon. If what he said was right, this could ultimately save her."

"Oh and I suppose after that we can get married and live happily ever after too? I'll invite everyone!" Severus spat and he folded his arms. "I am NOT sleeping with her, and I am definitely not having a miniature version of myself running around!"

Albus sighed and threw up his arms. Severus was just not going to listen. "But what other choice do you have?"

* * *

><p>As soon as Severus stepped out of his living room fireplace, Marie was waiting for him on the couch. She had almost passed out from waiting but became alert once more. "You couldn't just wait until tomorrow for news, could you?" He rolled his eyes and began to walk past her, heading toward the staircase. All he wanted to do was go to bed and forget any of this ever happened. He especially didn't want to talk to Marie. Albus had put the idea in his head that Lucius's rumor was not just a rumor, and it bothered him greatly.<p>

"What? Wait!" Marie jumped up and chased after him. "What happened tonight?" She caught him by the cloak and he stopped at the top step.

"Let me go." His voice was stern. "Now."

Marie pulled harder. "You told me that you would let me know what happened as soon as you got back! I have a right to know!" She protested.

"I'm not going to ask you again. Let. Me. Go." Severus was not about to play this game so late at night. Or was it so early in the morning?

"Not until you tell me!" She held on tighter. Severus grabbed the fabric and yanked forcefully, almost knocking her backward. Marie clutched onto the railing to keep from falling down the staircase. "I didn't ask for this either you know!" She yelled after him as he turned the corner and slammed the door to his bedroom.

Grumbling, Marie stood up straight and turned the opposite corner to her room. "Jerk. One day he cares and the next he's a huge asshole…" She continued rambling to herself as she changed, throwing her clothes everywhere in anger. Even as she climbed into bed she was still cursing Severus under her breath.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning still proved to be tense between the two. Neither of them had slept. Marie's mind raced at all the possibilities last night's meeting held as far as her future was concerned. Severus stared at his bedroom ceiling, cringing at what he was being forced to do. He now felt and shared in the anguish Draco had faced, except for the fact that Draco had legitimate feelings for Marie. How was he supposed to open up the subject, let alone perform the act?

Lazily shuffling about the kitchen, Marie set a pot of water to boil for some tea. Sitting at the small table in the corner, she rested her head upon her hand, still obsessed with her unanswered question. Lost in thought she almost missed Severus entering the kitchen as well. Her eyes slowly drifted in his direction.

"It must be worse than I thought," she began, shifting in her seat. "You're wearing _color_… sort of." Marie added sarcastically.

Severus had not worn his typical depressing black button down – only the white one. "So _what_?" He asked, sounding worn down. He leaned over the counter, waiting for the water as well. _I would much rather prefer a real drink._

"In the seven years I've seen you around the school, you've always been able to keep yourself together. That's the only reason I noticed." Marie rolled her eyes and stood when she heard the water begin to whistle. Severus turned to reach for a mug in the cupboard but instead bumped into her as she reached for her own.

Stopping himself from completely exploding on her, he took a step back. "Why don't you get them? I'll get out of _your_ way." Severus then took a seat at the table, feeling as if the walls were closing in around them. _Dammit, I don't want to talk to her. _He picked up an old Daily Prophet to distract himself, pretending to be interested in the pages.

Marie bit her tongue and continued preparing tea for the both of them now. _"_The usual, I assume?" she asked as she reached for the sugar, still attempting to be civil. All she heard was a rough grunt which she assumed meant "yes". Handling both mugs Marie set them on the table, took her own seat, and folded her arms.

"I know you're not reading it – I can clearly see that it's two weeks old." She grinned at Severus when he glared at her over the top of the paper. After a few moments he began to calmly fold it and set it aside. He ignored her stare and took a sip of tea. _Surprised the brat ever managed to remember my preferences…_

Marie sighed obnoxiously. "Are you going to tell me what happened last night or not? I understand if it's because you came back late but – "

"If it's alright with you, I would just _love_ to be awake for more than twenty minutes without listening to your constant whining." Severus almost slammed the cup on the table.

"Oh, I'm so sorry that I _whine_ about being hidden here with only having you to talk to, oh and being raped!" Marie spat back, becoming angry. "I get that you don't want to be 'babysitting' me, but I didn't force you to take up two spying jobs!"

"Don't you dare use that against me. You know nothing of what I've been through." Severus's fists clenched beneath the table. "If this was just about my _work_ would I have even shown my face around here? Would I attempt to hold a conversation? I even somewhat celebrated Christmas with another human being for the first time in years. Perhaps you should learn to stop assuming everything." His tone increasingly deepened.

If Marie didn't let up he was sure he would lose control of his temper. The stress of the last devastating months had finally gotten to him. Marie bit her lip and looked away. "If you resent my presence so much you should have just let me kill myself the night I found out about my family." The sadness crept up in her voice. "You have more important things to take care of and I should be having a normal life back at Hogwarts." She unfolded her arms and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

Severus relaxed himself. He didn't like to see her cry, and it seemed it was the only thing she ever did. "Just settle down, will you? What I was told last night was rather… shocking. I only needed time to gather my thoughts so we wouldn't handle it poorly like we are now." Hearing him explain, Marie nodded and drank her own tea.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, looking down into the cup. "I would still like to know… when you're ready of course."

_If avoiding it only brought on fighting, what the hell could telling her bring about? _Clearing his throat, Severus began to lift the lid on what seemed like Pandora's Box. "I need to ask you a question first. Before you jump to any conclusions, hear me out." Marie nodded again. "When you were around Lucius, did you mention anything to him about me?"

Marie furrowed her brow, wondering what this meant. "Well, I don't really remember what was said… only what was done."

"I don't ask this to upset you again, but I implore you to remember – it's extremely important." Severus attempted to coax the information from her.

"Okay, okay. Let me think…" Again Marie furrowed her brow, trying to fight the horrible memories of that week, searching for anything she might have said concerning Severus. Then it clicked. _Lucius tricked me into saying I wanted Severus instead, but… was it really a trick?_ _I still haven't figured it out myself. _Marie's face grew red and her posture became defensive once more. "I don't remember anything."

"So it's true." Severus could see the answers he had been searching for all over her face. "I see… Well, because of your condition, and Lucius's inflated ego, this knowledge is now public. Voldemort has shifted the task… to me." He finally finished the sentence. Marie looked at him quickly, still thoroughly embarrassed.

Marie opened her mouth several times to respond but simply couldn't. She had no clue as to how to respond. Lucius had exposed something she had been attempting to bury for awhile. Chalking it up to just latching onto Severus for support after being here for so long, Marie didn't believe the feelings were of anything serious at all… or was that just a trick made up by her own mind as well?

"I- I thought you said you weren't like them…" Was all she could think of. Marie knew very well Severus was not, but she just wanted the attention shifted off of her for now. Admitting it to herself was hard enough, but to admit it to his face? Never.

Severus looked confused. "Did I ever give you any reason to believe I was? I'm rather disappointed you would say such a thing." Marie looked away again. "And for your information, this is one order I simply refuse to obey." He stood up and brought his cup with him to the stove, hoping the water was still hot.

_I… I can't. If Voldemort knows this, and Severus refuses, they'll kill him. That's what he does to people who disobey him. Will it be my fault? Is the entirety of the past year my fault? Why am I dragging so many people down with me? _Marie held her hand over her mouth and rushed out of the kitchen, a faint crying sound escaping her lips.

Severus turned from the counter and barely saw her fleeing. Sighing heavily, he returned to the table. Closing his eyes and leaning back, he thought of what the next step should be. _I'm going to pay a heavy price for this, aren't I? I've managed to do some good after so much bad, yet I'm right back where I started. I still want to protect her – it was my mission. Do both sides have the same outcome then? Is it both good and evil that wills me to do this? I don't know anymore…_

* * *

><p>The two of them seemed to have found a somewhat usual routine whenever more information came to surface. They would get along, have pleasant conversation and then an event would take place that would have them begging to be on opposite ends of the world.<p>

It didn't take long for others in connection with Voldemort to hear about Marie and her feelings. Every time Severus showed his face in a meeting, other Death Eaters would make remarks just loud enough for him to hear. _Show her a good time for all of us! Make sure you fill her up nicely!_ It took all of his willpower not to hex them into oblivion. Severus was starting to feel the pressure from his comrades, especially Lucius.

To her dismay, Marie had a letter delivered to her by owl post. She knew who it was from by the writing on the front. _Draco knows… Why else would he be contacting me? _Marie had been staring at the envelope on her bed for nearly an hour, coming up with all assumptions of what was inside. She was sure he felt lost, confused and most certainly betrayed. _But we were never together, and I made it clear we couldn't be. He's probably still furious though… I wonder how exaggerated this all was? _She groaned and fell back onto a pillow; the temptation to open it was killing her, but ultimately she would feel like the bad person in all this – again.

Marie sat back up when she heard a knock on the door. Waving her hand, she opened it. Severus eyed the unopened letter. "Still haven't done it yet?" He was just as curious as Marie was about the contents. She shook her head slowly, her gaze fixated on the evil thing. "Perhaps his father never told him – it could be good news for a change."

"I doubt it." Marie muttered, slowly reaching for it. "Nothing ever goes right…" Sliding a finger under the wax seal, she held her breath.

Severus watched her begin to read through squinted eyes, as if the letter itself was going to cause her harm. He assumed there was nothing terrible in the words because she did not cry or react at all. _Or maybe Draco just saved the worst for last._ His thoughts broke when he heard knocking at the front door. He left Marie with her letter and headed downstairs.

Her heart sped up with every word she read. Draco's letter contained nothing of her fears – in fact it _was_ good news. "He's moved away until this is over…" Marie continued reading and her tense muscles relaxed. "He left with his mother before any of this was leaked. Thank Merlin…" She hopped off the bed to compose a reply when she heard Severus arguing with someone. Hearing her name repeated by him and the visitor, she set the letter back down and quietly made her way down the staircase.

When Marie reached the bottom floor, she caught a glimpse of the visitor standing with Severus in the living room. _Shit!_ She hid in the hallway, not daring to move any closer. Lucius had decided to grace the two with his presence – mostly to bother Severus about his orders. Marie listened in, careful not to make a sound.

"I thought you would have been more excited than this, Severus." Marie could almost taste the arrogance in Lucius's voice there was so much of it. "Why can't you just do as you're told?"

"If you've come here to bully your way into changing my mind, you're sorely mistaken. I'm not a child anymore, Lucius. This isn't Hogwarts either – those days are over with." Severus firmly held his ground.

Lucius chuckled for a moment. "This isn't a game, my friend. Well… with the choices you've been making you might have turned it into one. Gambling with your life isn't very smart, is it?"

"Threaten me all you want."

"Oh no, no, no. It isn't _me_ who would want you dead, not at all. I'm having too much fun observing this whole thing." He laughed again. "I just came here to warn you, as a friend of course, that He isn't going to wait much longer. Either you finish your duty and give Him a child, or you'll be giving him your blood."

Marie's head lowered. _I knew it. He's too damn stubborn so he's going to hand over his life – just like that! There has to be some way I could change his mind. He has a lot to live for, and so do I. I'm not letting him commit suicide when I can stop it. _She made her way back upstairs as Severus was showing Lucius to the door. Rushing to get back into her previous position on the bed, she clutched the note, pretending to still be reading it.

"Sorry about that," Severus began, somewhat quietly. Marie looked up and seemed confused.

"Oh! No, I'm sorry; I was so frightened this would be bad news I completely forgot you were there!" Marie faked a smile. "Well, don't worry about a thing. Draco hasn't heard anything, and he has left with his mother to another country to avoid being dragged into further rubbish."

"Ah… I see. I'm glad at least someone has made it out of here." Marie noticed he was becoming increasingly detached. She knew Lucius's threats were still ringing fresh in his mind. "I think I'm going to turn in early. I'll see you tomorrow." Severus turned from the doorway and Marie watched him walk down the hall and disappear into his own room.

It was nearly two in the morning and Marie was bent over the bathroom sink, brushing her teeth and still thinking of ways to make this work. Wiping her mouth and looking up at herself in the mirror, she realized she had been going about this the wrong way. _Talking won't work… but action might._ Marie tugged on the band keeping her long hair in a messy bun, letting it fall around her shoulders. _I can't believe I'm going to try this…_

Inspecting herself one last time, she pulled the sleeve of her oversized tee off one shoulder and slipped off her pajama bottoms. _So much for any lingerie…_ Opening her bedroom door, she stared down the dark hallway, feeling as if his door was miles away. With each step she reassured herself of her actions. _He's protected my life… I should be saving his as well… I should – I can't!_ Marie's trembling hand lingered above the doorknob.

Composing herself, she reached for the knob again. _He left it open… It's opening. No turning back…_ Nervously pushing the door, Marie could begin to see inside the dim lit room. Looking around she saw that it was exactly like the rest of the house – filled with more books and plainly decorated. Her eyes fell to where Severus had fallen asleep. Moving closer she saw a near empty glass of Firewhiskey along with an open book on the nightstand. _I'm sure he's truly passed out._

Severus had fallen asleep in the middle of his bed, leaving room for Marie to sit next to him. The black comforter had slipped off from his tossing and turning. Just watching him sleep made her blush. _I didn't think I would get this far. What should I do?_ Marie almost squealed when he shifted in his sleep and his hand fell onto her thigh. _You're an idiot, Marie._

Gathering up some courage, Marie outstretched her arm and lightly brushed the hair out of his face. _Actually now that I'm here… he _is_ pretty attractive._ Carefully moving his hand, she inched closer and sat back on her knees. She had never been this close to him before and she decided to study him. Before Marie could even take in a few more moments, Severus's eyes began to flutter. _Oh no…_

"W-what are you doing?" Severus demanded, sitting straight up. Marie moved back and began wringing her hands. "And where's the rest of your clothing?" At a glance he could see clearly up to her knickers.

"I – I know Lucius was here earlier. I heard him say you would be killed and – "

"I've made up my mind and that's final! If I have to be murdered because I think participating in this is wrong, then so be it!" Severus yelled at her.

Marie felt slightly ashamed in her appearance. "You're right. Who am I to come in here and try and change your mind?" She folded her hands in her lap, trying to pull down her shirt to cover herself. "I just wish you weren't so selfish." Her tone deepened and her attitude quickly changed.

Severus raised an eyebrow at being challenged. "And how exactly is trying to do the right thing 'selfish'?" Marie kept quiet and before he could say a word she crawled over to him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Your version of the right thing is protecting me like Dumbledore wanted. My version is repaying you by saving your life, which just _happens_ to mean sleeping with you. Lucius told you I felt something for you – great. I'm tired of caring. Last time I checked I was still an adult and I could still make my own decisions." Marie's grip tightened with every word.

He was surprised at her strong demeanor and that she didn't just run away crying as usual. Severus looked her up and down for a moment. Marie was right – she was an adult. _I told her ages ago she should be able to pick who creates the heir… This is still choosing. She could have let me die. _"So is this just 'repayment'? Is this pity?" He refused to give in.

"Why are you twisting this?" Marie reached up and held his face in her hands. "I'm not someone you need to be fighting with. Please believe me." She pulled his gaze back to her when he looked away. "If anyone deserves to be a father to children of such status, it's you. Yes, you can be the coldest man on the planet and an ass, but I've seen past that while I've been here." Marie rested a hand on his chest. "That person _is_ in there."

Severus said nothing and only acknowledged her statements with a nod. After sitting in silence for so long, Marie thought saying any more would be pointless. "I've only bothered you again…" She let go of him and began to make her way off the bed.

Watching her walk toward the door, Severus was still fighting with himself. He was still not convinced that lying with her was acceptable, but he also realized that Marie would most likely blame herself for his death. He knew what that felt like; to carry something so horrible with you for the rest of your life. "Hold on," Severus moved to the edge of the bed, swinging his legs over the side. Marie turned around and hesitantly returned to him.

Standing directly in front of him, Marie waited for him to finish his thought. "There's nothing else to talk about. You know how I feel, but if being some sort of martyr means more to you, then I cannot stop you."

"I'm not one for sparing the feelings of others. I want you to understand that this does not mean there will be a 'fairytale' ending. You may have been through horrors of your own, but believe me when I say that what is out there is even more terrifying." He knew he was rambling at this point.

Marie sighed in exasperation. "If you're trying to tell me that you will never love, or even like me, I could have guessed that on my own. I can live with that. What I cannot live with is you making the ultimate sacrifice, when you've done so much already."

Severus grew tired of fighting her stubbornness with his own. "Alright." Marie perked up a little. "Just… not now." She nodded and again made her way to the door. "Don't try so hard next time. I don't find any beauty in what someone wears." Marie had paused in the doorway but did not face him. Believing it was best to keep quiet, she exited and closed the door behind her.


End file.
